Harry and Ginny: A Love Story
by Epeefencer
Summary: As per reader requests I am starting a long story from one of the Harry Loves Ginny chapters. This one is After the Chamber and it will become a Soul Bond Story but in a different way than most. Chapter 1 is basically the same with minor changes.
1. The Beginning

**Harry and Ginny, A Love Story**

**Chapter 1: The Beginning**

Harry left McGonagall's office and headed back to the Gryffindor Common Room, relieved that they weren't going to be expelled or punished in any way.

He met Ron who was coming back from having escorted Lockhart and he prattled on about their getting Special Awards for Services to the School but Harry's thoughts were on Ginny. He was still quite concerned about her even though Mrs. Weasley had taken her to the Hospital Wing to see Madam Pomfrey.

Of course they were the centre of attention when they entered the Common Room but Harry was in no mood to talk to anyone and he quickly left for his dorm, leaving Ron talking to anyone who would listen about their adventure down to the Chamber of Secrets.

Harry changed and got into bed pulling the curtains so he didn't have to deal with anyone if they came looking for him. He lay there for the longest time unable to fall asleep. He just stared at the ceiling and thought about this past year and his feeling that somehow he had let Ginny down.

Even though she was Ron's sister he knew they should have been better friends with her, looking out for her like the Twins had for him and Ron their first year. They should have done more, he could see that plain as the nose on his face now, why hadn't that been obvious all year long?

After a time he heard Ron, Dean, Seamus and Neville come up to bed but he remained quiet so as not to let them know he was still awake. Finally Harry heard them all drift off to sleep and begin snoring peacefully.

Harry still couldn't sleep, all he could think of was Ginny, it was as if she were somehow calling out to him as she was laying alone in the Hospital Wing and he couldn't stand it. Quietly he slipped out of bed and retrieved his Cloak from his trunk, pausing once when he heard Ron snort and roll over.

Once Ron had settled back down and began to snore again Harry donned the Cloak and slipped out of the room and down the stairs. Thankfully there was no one about so he was able to exit Gryffindor Tower and make his way to the Hospital Wing.

Slipping inside he stopped to let his eyes adjust to the semi-darkness of the room. There, about halfway down he saw a small figure huddled in bed and he could see her shoulders shaking as if she was sobbing silently.

Glancing at Madam Pomfrey's office to make sure she wasn't going to come out he softly made his way down to Ginny's bed. As he got closer he saw she was crying softly to herself. So concerned was Harry that he inadvertently bumped the bed as he came close.

Ginny bolted upright in fright and said quietly, "Who's there?"

Harry pulled off his cloak and Ginny gave a start.

"I'm sorry I scared you," Harry whispered.

Ginny relaxed a little when she saw it was Harry. "That's OK," she murmured.

She glanced at him and asked full of concern, "What are you doing here?"

"I ah, well, I couldn't sleep and I kept thinking about you here all alone and I just wanted to check up on you," he said nervously.

Ginny just looked at him for a moment and then nodded, "Thank You," she said sheepishly, breaking eye contact and looking down at her bed.

Harry watched her closely and he saw her shoulders slump slightly and then another small shudder passed through her body. He moved closer to the bed and sat down in the chair that was close to the side, probably where Mrs. Weasley had sat earlier that evening.

He noticed Ginny watching out of the corner of her eyes at him but she remained quiet.

"I'm Sorry Ginny," he said softly.

Ginny's head came up and looked at him confused. "For what Harry?" she asked.

"For not being a better friend this year," he said, ashamed of himself.

Ginny looked at him intensely and her mouth opened and closed several times like she wanted to say something but didn't quite know how or what she wanted to tell him. Finally she said "That's OK, I mean I'm just Ron's little sister, why should you have been my friend?"

Harry thought for a moment, "I should have been your friend if nothing else than you are Ron's sister because if anyone knows what it's like to be alone in a strange place for the first time it's me and I should have made a better effort," he said his guilt still eating away at him.

Ginny nodded but again didn't say anything. She had a very sad look in her eyes and appeared to be very tired but she made no effort to lay back down and go to sleep.

Harry looked at her and he thought he knew what the problem was. "Why aren't you sleeping?" he asked full of concern. "Didn't Madam Pomfrey give you a Sleeping Draught?"

Ginny's eyes took on a somewhat frightened look. "She tried to but I spit it out when she wasn't looking. I hate being forced to sleep. Besides every time I close my eyes I see Tom again," she said with a small sob.

"I know what you mean," Harry said softly. "I see my Mum getting killed a lot when I go to sleep," he admitted, not really doing so consciously.

Harry looked at Ginny and his heart went out to her. "Would it help if I stayed here with you?" he asked lowly. "I promise to keep you safe."

Ginny stared at him for several long moments and he saw her relax again. "Would you?" she whispered fervently.

"Yes Ginny, I'll stay and make sure you're safe," Harry said. Then for some reason he didn't quite fathom he reached out and took her hand. "Just lay down Ginny, I'm right here."

Ginny looked at his hand holding hers before looking up into Harry's emerald eyes and she smiled a little.

"Promise?" she asked.

"Promise," he answered, returning her smile with one of his own.

Ginny lay back and closed her eyes, keeping a tight hold on Harry's hand. "Thank you Harry," she said so softly he barely heard. "I think maybe I can get to sleep now."

Harry carefully adjusted his chair so he could keep a hold of her hand without leaning or stretching and he watched as she fell asleep in what seemed like a matter of moments.

As she slept he stared at her face, relaxed now in peaceful slumber and he marvelled at how pretty she looked. Her hair had fanned out around her face and he couldn't remember ever seeing something that looked so beautiful. It was like he was truly seeing her for the first time.

The hours passed and Harry kept watch, never once feeling the desire to fall asleep.

It was well past midnight when he felt Ginny stir in her sleep and mumble "No Tom, Please I don't want to," in her dream.

Harry quickly leaned over and with his free hand he softly stoked her hair and forehead, whispering into her ear, "It's OK Ginny, it's just a dream. I'm here and Tom can't hurt you."

Still asleep he felt her move and turn her head slightly towards him, muttering "Harry?"

"Shh, Ginny. I'm right here," he whispered to her softly. "You're safe, Tom can't hurt you. You're safe here."

Ginny smiled in her sleep and calmed down again, once more dropping into a deep slumber

When he heard Madam Pomfrey stir in her office Harry quickly pulled his cloak up over himself while remaining where he was, still holding Ginny's hand. He watched as the matron glanced out of her office making sure that Ginny was still asleep before she went back inside and dimmed her light.

Harry remained there the rest of the night, comforting Ginny if she seemed in any distress and was happy when she calmed quickly as he kept telling her she was safe and Tom couldn't hurt her any more.

All through the night he kept his vigil, making sure that Ginny slept soundly and undisturbed. He was surprised because he didn't feel in the least bit tired and he wasn't sure when it happened but he knew that Ginny would always be special to him, partly because of their shared experience in the Chamber and partly because of something else he couldn't quite put a name to.

Somehow she had taken up residence in his heart and he knew he'd never be able to look at her the same again.

Finally when the sun began to shine through the window Ginny stirred once again but this time it was because she was waking up.

He felt her squeeze his hand as her eyes fluttered open and she looked at him. She smiled shyly and blushed a little. "I almost thought it was all a dream," she said softly.

Harry returned her smile and asked "What was all a dream?"

"Your being here," she said shyly.

Harry blushed slightly at her and he felt a warm glow deep inside, he had this sudden urge to kiss her but resisted it, not knowing how Ginny would react so instead he just smiled at her.

Ginny smiled in response and said, "Thank you Harry."

"Any time Ginny," Harry replied.

"Really?" she asked as if she couldn't believe she really heard him.

"Really Ginny," he said still with the smile plastered on his face.

"You should probably go," Ginny said at last. "You don't want to get into trouble on my account."

"You're worth it," Harry said seriously.

Ginny was shocked by his fervent answer. "What about my brother?" she asked.

"He better just get use to the idea," Harry said with a sudden harden glint in his eyes

Ginny looked at him in wonder, "Are you sure?" she asked,

"Yes Ginny," Harry replied again, giving her hand a squeeze.

Ginny blushed again, unsure just what to say, her mind in turmoil, wondering if she was reading to much into Harry's words.

"You'd better go," she said again, hoping to buy herself some time to deal with everything.

"All right, but I'll be back," he said, smiling at her once more.

"When?" Ginny asked, her heart in her throat.

"As soon as I get changed," Harry replied. "I'll come and get you so we can go down to breakfast. That's if you want me too," he added hesitantly.

Ginny smiled, not believing what she was hearing. "I'd like that very much," she said softly.

"OK, then that's settled," he said as if that was all that mattered. "See you soon."

Ginny smiled at him and was surprised that both seemed reluctant to let go of each other's hand. Finally they heard Madam Pomfrey stirring in her office and Harry glanced that way. He then looked back at Ginny and with out really realizing what he was doing, he leaned in and gave Ginny a soft rather chaste kiss.

It caught Ginny by surprise but she did return it after a moments hesitation, relishing the feel of Harry's lips on hers. They both looked at each other in surprise as they parted but neither said anything.

Harry looked into Ginny's eyes, smiled and said, "I'll see you soon."

"OK Harry," Ginny managed to croak out.

Harry straightened and pulled his Cloak up over himself and disappeared from view. As he walked quietly away he heard Ginny say to herself, "I really must be dreaming."

He snuck past just as Madam Pomfrey came out of her office and started toward Ginny to give her a check up.

Harry hurried back to his dorm room where he found Ron and the others still asleep. He had just stowed his Cloak and started to get dressed when he heard Ron stir and yawn mightily.

"Where you off to?" he asked Harry sleepily.

"Breakfast," Harry replied as he put on his clothes.

"If you wait a few I'll go with you," Ron said yawning again as he stretched.

Harry felt his irritation rise, "Why don't I meet you there," he said as he tied his trainers.

"Where you going first?" Ron asked.

Harry took a deep breath, "To check on Ginny," he said tensely.

"Why?" asked Ron as if he couldn't conceive of Harry doing such a thing.

"Because," was all Harry said as he stood up.

Ron looked at him funny, like he thought Harry had lost his mind. Finally he just shrugged, "OK, I'll see you there."

Harry breathed a sigh of relief, not really wanting to get into it with Ron this early in the morning, or at all if he thought about it.

He hurried back down the stairs and back to the Hospital Wing, he paused outside the door to catch his breath for a moment before he entered. He was pleased to see Ginny sitting up in the chair dressed and waiting for him.

He felt his stomach do somersaults as he looked at her. To Harry she looked so stunningly beautiful that he couldn't even put it into words. He just knew he felt drawn to her like he had never been before, to anyone.

She smiled as he approached but she remained seated till he got to her.

"Ready to go?" Harry asked.

"Yes," Ginny replied, looking shyly at the floor.

Harry extended his hand and after a moments hesitation Ginny took it and she let Harry pull her gently to her feet. They began walking towards the doors, still hand in hand as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

Harry felt his heart beating a mile a minute as he enjoyed Ginny's hand in his. Neither said anything but Harry was aware of Ginny glancing at him every few steps, a small smile on her face. As they descended through the castle, Harry became more acutely aware of people looking at them as they walked.

Just before they got to the last staircase Ginny pulled Harry to a stop and looked at him funnily.

"What's the matter?" he asked.

"Are you sure you want to walk in like this?" she asked lifting their joined hands.

Harry looked at her, cocking his head slightly, "Why is there something wrong with it?"

Ginny smiled slightly and shook her head. "Not to me, but I was just wondering if you were OK with it?"

"Why wouldn't I be?" Harry asked looking quite confused.

"Well usually it signifies that the ones doing so are like, you know, going together or something," Ginny said softly, suddenly unable to meet Harry's eyes again.

"Does that bother you?" Harry asked, suddenly thinking he may stepped over some invisible line.

"No," said Ginny softly. "I just wondered if you might. I mean we haven't talked about it or anything."

It was Harry's turn to stare at the floor. "Well I'm kind of new at this," he said. "All I know is I like being with you Ginny and for some reason holding your hand just really feels, - Um, right. If you know what I mean."

"Yeah," Ginny said with a smile, "I feel the same thing."

Harry smiled at her again, looking into her deep, chocolate eyes, feeling like he was falling into them, all he saw was Ginny's eyes, totally oblivious to all the kids around them as they hurried to the Great Hall for breakfast.

Once again Harry felt himself leaning in toward Ginny and their lips toughed again. This time the kiss lasted a little longer and both felt shivers run up and down their spines, neither finding the sensation unpleasant. In fact both wanted to feel that sensation again.

Finally breaking apart Ginny smiled and blushed deeply. "So does this mean we're going together?" she asked.

Harry took a deep breath, he hadn't really thought about it in those terms but he knew he liked the idea. "Yeah, I mean if you want to. I don't want to make you or anything," he said.

Ginny rolled her eyes at him and giggled. "Harry I couldn't want anything more."

Harry let out his breath that he had been holding, not even realizing he had been doing so. "Brilliant!" he said in relief.

Ginny frowned then, "What about Ron?" she asked.

Harry looked at her seriously, "Well he had better just get use to the idea," he said earnestly.

Smiling at Harry's pronouncement she pulled Harry forward and started down the steps again, "Come on. I'm starving," she said with a smile.

Harry smiled with her and they descended the last steps and headed into the Great Hall. As they walked up the row towards where Harry usually sat with Ron and Hermione they became aware of all the talking and noise fall silent as they walked past.

Ron looked down the row as they approached, smiling at first when he spotted Harry but then taking on a look like he'd just been hit by a Bludger when he saw Ginny's hand in Harry's.

Hermione looked just as stunned for a moment but then a smile crept onto her face and she gave them a knowing look.

Harry assisted Ginny into her seat on the bench before sitting down beside her. He noticed everyone looking at them, Seamus, Dean, Neville and Paravati were staring goggle-eyed.

"What?" asked Harry as he sat down.

They all suddenly became very interested in their breakfasts and the chatter picked back up.

Ginny was casually putting eggs onto his plate after serving herself, she then poured them both some juice as Harry served them both some sausages.

Hermione was beaming at them but Harry noticed Ron's face had changed from the stunned look he had earlier to a deep frown and his ears were beginning to go red. A sure sign that his temper was starting to build up. He opened his mouth like he was going to say something but he was cut off by Hermione.

"Stuff it Ron," she whispered forcefully.

Ron looked at her in surprise and hissed "But he's with my sister!"

"So?" Hermione said.

"But," Ron began again.

"No Ron," Hermione said. "Ginny's been through enough already and Dumbledore said to leave them alone. If they want to be together you should just accept that and leave it be."

Harry had never been more grateful for Hermione's intervention than ever though Ginny pointedly ignored what was happening. She just looked at Harry and said, "Eat."

Harry looked at her and smiled as he picked up his fork and began to eat his eggs. For right now it seemed that things would be OK and that was fine with him. He was sure that Ron would voice his opinion later on but that didn't bother him. He was content to let come what may, Ginny was with him and that's all that mattered. Somehow he felt more complete with her by his side and as he felt her take his hand under the table he felt the warm feeling run through him again as if Ginny and he were somehow connected now.

He looked over at her and she was looking at him with a strange look on her face. "_Harry?" _ he heard her say.

The thing was, looking directly at her, he noticed her lips had not moved.

**A/N: People have been after me to take several of the Harry Loves Ginny ****chapters and turn them into a long story. This is the first one and it's for ****Secrets4theunderground, she has become a very good friend. So I am dedicating this story to her.**

**I have made some minor changes and additions to this storyline so hang on, make sure you reread before continuing or you may miss a few things.**


	2. Times are a Changing

**Harry and Ginny, A Love Story**

**Chapter 2: Things are a Changing**

Harry looked at Ginny intently, he knew he had heard her and just as surely he knew she hadn't opened her mouth.

"_Ginny? _He asked back tentatively.

"_Harry, what's happening?" _Ginny asked, her question laced with concern.

"_I'm not sure Ginny,"_ Harry replied, his thoughts racing.

They both looked around, eyes darting to see if anyone was noticing anything strange. Harry's eyes locked on Hermione's for a moment and she looked at him questioningly but he ignored her for the moment.

"_Try to act normally and we can talk later when we're alone," _Harry said to Ginny.

"_OK Harry, I'll try, but this is definitively strange," _Ginny replied, looking at Harry.

Harry smiled at her encouragingly, hoping if he remained calm that Ginny would too. They went back to eating their breakfasts but they kept glancing at one another as they did so.

Harry was aware of Hermione watching them with a bit more attention than normal, but Harry hoped she would pass it off as he and Ginny being together as the cause.

They finally finished eating and Harry was happy to see that Ron was filling his plate again with fourths or fifths. That would keep him occupied while he and Ginny made their escape.

He and Ginny rose as one and even though Hermione gave them a strange look they both ignored it.

As they exited the Great Hall, Harry glanced over at Ginny, "_Astronomy Tower?" _ he asked.

Ginny smiled, _"OK, sounds good to me, it should be empty at this time,"_ Ginny sent back to him.

Harry's hand just naturally seemed to find Ginny's without his even having to look for it and as he did so Ginny smiled at him. For some reason he no longer felt nervous or hesitant around Ginny. Somehow it just seemed natural to be with her and touching her.

Ginny was feeling the same things Harry was, his hand in hers felt so right and she didn't feel any of the shyness or nervousness that she had before. Though she couldn't quite place it, something was definitively different now.

They climbed up the stairs of Hogwarts in total silence, exchanging smiles and sly glances. Both were feeling so happy but again they couldn't quite understand why.

Harry led Ginny out onto the top of the Tower and they went to the edge, staring out, taking in the view, both feeling that somehow the world seemed different. The sun seemed a little brighter, the air cleaner and the colours more intense.

Harry took Ginny into a hug and let her warmth wash over him. For the moment words seemed unnecessary, it was enough just to hold her in his arms. He closed his eyes and just reveled in the feeling of Ginny in his embrace.

For Ginny's part, she felt so safe and secure. After her experiences in the Chamber, she had thought she'd never feel that way again. Though she had always considered herself to be quite independent, she welcomed the feeling of security that Harry's embrace afforded her. She closed her eyes and laid her head on Harry's shoulder and sighed contently.

They stood there unmoving for many minutes, just relishing the feel of the other. Slowly they became aware of the growing connection between them, their hearts beating as one, breathing in and out in sync, somehow joined together.

"_Harry," / "Ginny" _the sent together.

Ginny giggled as Harry chuckled, "_You first,"_ Harry sent.

"_Harry do you have any idea what is gong on?" _Ginny asked.

"_No Ginny, I really don't. I take it this is unusual in the Wizarding World?" _Harry replied.

"_I've never heard of anything like this," _Ginny sent, her "voice" tinged with her uncertainty.

"_Well you would probably know more than I would. You at least grew up in a Wizarding household," _Harry sent back.

Ginny led Harry over to one of the benches that lined the wall of the stairway enclosure. She sat down, pulling Harry down next to her.

"Who can we talk to?" Ginny asked.

Harry looked troubled, "I'm not sure, for some reason I really don't want to go to Dumbledore about this."

Ginny looked thoughtful, "I can understand that," she replied. "Something about him makes me uneasy." She then sighed, "How about McGonagall? She's our head of house."

Harry contemplated Ginny's suggestion for a moment. "All right, McGonagall it is. I trust her more than I do Dumbledore."

Once they had made their decision, both felt more at ease and the feelings of happiness returned. Harry stared into Ginny's deep chocolate eyes and he felt that he could get lost in their depths.

Ginny looked into Harry's emerald eyes, seeing nothing but love and acceptance in their depths. Slowly they leaned in to each other and their lips came together. It was a soft sensual kiss of new found love, one that spoke of a deep commitment to each other, cementing a pledge to the other, binding them together for all time.

Slowly their lips parted, as they did, their eyes locked and smiles formed on their faces. Subconsciously they knew that they had found the one that made them whole.

Harry's hand came up and he ran it down through Ginny's hair. He closed his eyes and sighed at it's soft silkiness that reached him at a primal level. It was as if it was made just for that purpose, calming him as he breathed in its wonderful fragrance and he knew he'd never tire of feeling it.

Ginny nuzzled her face into Harry's neck, taking in his woodsy, musky aroma that filled her with a sense of calm and contentment. She knew that he was the one that made her feel complete somehow. The other half of her that she needed to be complete.

As if on cue, they stood up, smiling at one another, Harry taking Ginny's hand in his as they headed back down to find McGonagall to see if she could help answer their questions and explain what they were feeling and experiencing.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Hermione watched Harry and Ginny leave. She didn't know what, but something seemed different about them. She glanced at Ron but she knew he was totally oblivious to them, he was too busy feeding his face to have noticed anything.

She sighed and shook her head slightly. She glanced over and saw Ron finishing up clearing off his plate, he sat up, belched and sighed as he turned toward her.

"What's going on between Harry and Ginny?" he asked, frowning now that he was satiated.

"Whatever do you mean?" Hermione asked, her anger rising a little.

"Well he left early to go see her in the Hospital Wing and then he turns up here for breakfast with her, then they left together, and he hardly said two words to us," Ron rambled.

Hermione sighed, "I'm not sure Ron, but it looks like Harry has become closer to Ginny. Maybe he feels that he needs to protect her since he saved her in the Chamber of Secrets. I mean she just got out of the Hospital Wing and she probably sees Harry as her saviour," she said grasping at straws.

"Well I'm not sure if I like it," Ron said moodily. "What's he doing messing around with her anyway?"

Hermione's patience was growing thin. "Professor Dumbledore said to give them some time, I mean it was only yesterday that Harry saved her so things must be pretty overwhelming," she said sternly.

"Yeah, well, she's still my sister and I don't think he should be hanging around with her," Ron said testily. "She's too young."

Hermione rolled her eyes, like Ron was so much older. "Let's head up to see if we can't find them," she said, wanting to see them interact some more, hoping to figure out what was going on.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Albus Dumbledore sat in his office contemplating what he had noticed the previous night. There seemed to be something between Harry and Ginny Weasley and he wasn't sure it was something to watch or not.

As far as he was concerned things like that could be nothing or something major. He didn't want anything to distract Harry from what he needed to learn and do. Harry had a destiny to fulfill and something like a relationship with someone like Miss Weasley could be disastrous.

Yes, he would need to keep a close eye on young Miss Weasley in respect to Harry. Steps may need to be taken to insure that Harry wasn't distracted by anything that might jeopardize his reliance on the right person, and in Albus' mind there was only one person that Harry should come to rely on and that was him.

Well with Harry having to return to the Dursley's for the summer, that should be enough time for things to cool down in respect to Harry and Ginny. Feeling confident that his plans for Harry were going according to his plan, Albus Dumbledore turned his attention to the pile of parchments on his desk.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Harry and Ginny made their way down to their Head of House's office, a bit apprehensive but with a certain sense of that they were doing the right thing, they knocked on the door.

It took a moment but the door swung open and the stern visage of Professor McGonagall looked down on them. "What may I do for you two?" she asked.

"May we talk to you Professor?" Harry asked.

Professor McGonagall looked from Harry to Ginny with a somewhat concerned look on her face. Her countenance softened as she looked at the two who just the previous night had looked so troubled after Harry's rescue of Ginny and she wondered what they could need to speak to her about.

"Come in," she said softly as she stepped out of the way.

"I was just about to have some tea, would you care to join me?" she asked.

Harry was about to decline when Ginny spoke up, "That would be nice, thank you," she said with a small smile.

The Professor led them over to her desk and conjured another chair so that they could all sit down. She then poured out the tea and handed cups to Harry and Ginny. "Biscuit?" she asked as she offered them the plate.

"Thank you Mam," Ginny said as she helped herself to a couple.

Harry followed suit and they all sipped their tea and munched on biscuits for a moment. "Now what can I do for you?" she asked kindly.

Ginny and Harry looked at each other before turning to the Professor. "We have a kind of dilemma," Ginny said hesitantly. "The thing is we aren't sure what is happening and we didn't know who to ask."

"What seems to be the matter?" the Professor asked, intrigued by Ginny's lead in.

Ginny took a deep breath, "Well this may sound like we're crazy but we can talk to each other without speaking."

At first McGonagall looked puzzled but then they saw understanding come to her, "Are you saying that you can hear each other in your minds?"

"Yes Professor," Ginny said softly.

"When did this start?" Minerva asked.

"This morning at breakfast," Ginny replied, glancing at Harry who nodded in agreement.

The Professor got an extremely thoughtful look on her face. "Have you noticed anything else unusual?" she asked.

Harry and Ginny looked at each other again, "Well yes, I guess," Harry said. "We seem to like being in contact, holding hands and stuff," he added blushing slightly.

Ginny nodded in agreement with Harry, "We seem to be very in-tune with each other," she added. "I have this feeling that our hearts are beating in time and I have this feeling that there is some kind of connection."

"Yeah," Harry agreed. "Like last night, I felt like Ginny was calling out to me, that she needed me," Harry said, glancing shyly at Ginny.

Ginny smiled at him and took his hand in hers. "I feel more comfortable when I'm with Harry, like somehow I'm more complete now. If I close my eyes, I can feel Harry's presence," Ginny said softly.

"Me too,"Harry said with a smile. "It's like I know where she's at without even looking."

Harry and Ginny got quiet, looking at their Head of House, expectantly.

Minerva McGonagall looked from one to the other, their sincerity evident in their faces. She noticed their clasped hands and she could actually see them breathing in time.

'There is only one explanation that I can think of," their Professor said. "Though it is a very rare occurrence and it will take some further investigation to verify but I feel I can safely say that what you are describing is a Soul-Bond."

Harry and Ginny looked at her with stunned looks, Harry because he had never heard of such a thing and Ginny because she had heard growing up that they were a myth.

"We should go see Professor Dumbledore," Minerva said.

Harry and Ginny got panicked looks on their faces.

"What's wrong?" the Professor asked.

"We would rather not involve him if it can be avoided," Harry said.

The Professor looked at Ginny, "Is that your feeling too?" she asked.

"Yes Professor," Ginny replied, her face mirroring Harry's concern.

Professor McGonagall sat back and thought furiously. Obviously Harry and Ginny had their reasons for wanting to exclude Albus from knowing and even though she didn't know what they were she was inclined to honour their wishes for the time being.

"Very well, there are other ways for me to investigate this," she said looking kindly at them. "I'm pleased that you chose me to confide in."

"You're our Head of House and have always treated us fairly," Ginny said, with Harry nodding in agreement.

Minerva looked at Ginny closely, "I'm rather surprised but pleased how well you are doing after your experiences of last evening," she said gently.

Ginny blushed a little and glanced at Harry, "Well to tell the truth, it's because of Harry that I'm doing so well."

"Really?" the Professor asked. "And why is that?"

"_Should I tell her?" _Ginny asked Harry.

Harry shrugged after a moment, "_If you want to," _he replied.

Minerva watched in awe as Harry and Ginny looked at each other, she could tell something was going on but she couldn't tell what. Then it struck her, they were mind-speaking, she was sure of it.

Ginny looked back at the Professor, "Harry came and stayed with me last night in the Hospital Wing, he was a great comfort to me and helped me get through the night."

Minerva McGonagall's one eyebrow shot up into her hairline and she eyed them critically. "While I can't condone a student being out after curfew, I applaud Mr. Potter's care and concern for a fellow student. Ten points, Mr. Potter."

She then looked at her two students, a kind smile on her face, something neither Harry or Ginny could remember seeing before. "Now if there is nothing else, I suggest you go and enjoy this beautiful day. I'll let you know what I find out, even if I have to contact you over the summer, I assume you'll be with your relatives in Surrey, Mr. Potter?"

Ginny immediately felt Harry's discomfort and she knew something was the matter. "What is it Harry?" she asked.

At first Harry was reluctant to speak, Professor McGonagall's mention of his returning to Privet Dr. had brought back the unpleasant memories of his life there.

Minerva McGonagall knew with a fair amount of certainty what was the matter, she had seen it before. "Harry," she said tenderly, "Please tell me about living with your relatives."

Harry looked up at her, and then quickly down, ashamed how he felt about his home life, if you could call it that.

"_Please Harry," _Ginny sent to him, letting all her emotions flood through their connection, telling him non-verbally that she was worried about him and just like he had helped her, she was there for him.

Hesitantly at first but then with increasing ease, he began to pour out his life at #4 Privet Dr., from the cupboard under the stairs, to all the missed meals and the physical abuse he had undergone. Once he began he couldn't stop till it had all tumbled out.

When he was done, Ginny went over to him and took him into a big hug, letting all her love and compassion flood into Harry. Professor McGonagall was shocked at the story she heard. She had been very reluctant to leave Harry with his relatives all those years ago because of what she had witnessed but now she'd be damned if she'd allow him to return to that environment.

"Harry, thank you for telling me and rest assured I will not let you return to a place where you are treated that way," she said tenderly.

Harry looked up, trying not to get his hopes up too much, "But where will I go?" he asked softly.

Minerva smiled at him, "You leave that to me for now, I need to contact a few people before I say anything more but I'll let you know as soon as I can, OK?"

Harry could only nod dully, he didn't want to get his hopes up to high. Ginny sensed his unease and hugged him again. "_Don't worry Harry, McGonagall will fix things, you wait and see,"_ she sent to him.

"_I certainly hope so,"_ he replied, wishing with all his might that his nightmare existence with his relatives would come to an end.

"Now off you two go and let me get to fixing things," their Head of House said encouragingly.

Harry and Ginny rose and got ready to leave but at the last moment Harry turned and hugged himself tightly to the Professor for a moment. Minerva felt tears start to well up in her eyes and she vowed that she'd do everything in her power to help this wonderful, unassuming boy get the life he deserved.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Hermione sat alone in the Gryffindor Common Room, waiting patiently for Harry and Ginny. Ron had gone off with Dean and Seamus, too agitated to hang around waiting for Harry to come back. He wasn't sure he wanted to be there anyway, what with Ginny hanging around with Harry.

He didn't see why she had to hang around with his best mate anyhow. Harry was his friend and Ginny could just go find some of her own.

Hermione was really troubled by Ron's attitude, not understanding it at all, of course she didn't know of Ron's underlying jealousy.

She wasn't waiting long when Harry and Ginny came in, both looked rather upset and she wondered what was wrong. Earlier they had seemed so happy and she couldn't fathom what could have made such a drastic change.

As they headed towards her she could see Ginny whispering to Harry, as if she was trying to comfort him. As they got closer she could tell that even though Ginny was upset, it seemed it was Harry who was the one worse off and Ginny was upset for Harry's sake.

As they got to the couch Hermione made eye contact with Ginny who gave her a small shake of her head, which she took to mean, leave Harry alone for right now. Hermione nodded in response and she saw Ginny sigh in relief.

They sat down next to Hermione and Harry stared into the fire, trying not to get his hopes up too high that McGonagall would be able to fix things so he didn't have to return to the Dursley's.

Since Ginny was sitting in between Harry and Hermione, she whispered into Ginny's ear, "Is everything all right?"

Ginny glanced at Harry who still just stared into the fire and she felt that he was contemplating his situation. "We'll talk later," she whispered back.

This satisfied Hermione's curiosity for the moment, hopefully Ginny would fill her in completely, if not she could see what see could from Harry later.

Ginny took a quick look around, "Where's my prat of a brother?" she asked Hermione.

"Off with Dean and Seamus," Hermione answered, a bit hesitantly.

Ginny knew right away it was because of Ron's reaction to her and Harry being together, she may be a year younger than him but she was also much more perceptive than he was and she knew him all too well. She was sure that Ron was jealous of her becoming friends with Harry, he had voiced that fact several times over the past couple years. Even though he was twelve, he sure didn't act it at times.

Hermione went back to reading her History of Magic text book but kept glancing at Harry and Ginny while she read.

Ginny started to rub Harry's back gently and Hermione could see Harry relax as she did so. Hermione watched as Harry shut his eyes and rolled his head and neck as Ginny continued to rub his back and neck.

Harry couldn't believe how good it felt as Ginny rubbed his back, it was the first time he remembered somebody doing something like that for him.

"_Thanks Ginny," _he sent as he relished the wonderful feelings she was creating.

"_You're welcome Harry," _Ginny replied. "_I'm glad I can help you feel better."_

"_Do you think that there s anything to this Soul-Bond that McGonagall mentioned?" _he asked her.

"_Well I have heard of such a thing but all I ever heard was that they were probably a myth since no one in recent history has experienced one. My dad was talking about it to Bill a couple of years ago and I listened while they talked,"_ she said in answer.

"_I mean, this being able to talk to you without anyone hearing is really unusual," _Harry said thoughtfully.

"_Well I guess we'll just have to wait for McGonagall to get back to us with __anything she can find out," _Ginny said with a smile.

They heard the Clock Tower Strike Twelve and in silent agreement all three got up and headed down to lunch.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Professor McGonagall watched Harry and Ginny leave and as soon as the door shut she went to the Floo. Taking a pinch of Floo Powder she cast it into the flame and stuck her head into it after saying clearly, "The Burrow."

Molly Weasley was sitting down to have a cup of tea, trying hard not to worry about Ginny staying at Hogwarts till the end of the year. Even though it was only a few days, she couldn't get the thoughts of Ginny's ordeal out of her head.

She jumped when the Floo flared and Minerva McGonagall's head appeared.

"What is it? Is something wrong with Ginny? Is she OK?" Molly spouted off in a little of a panic.

"Ginny's fine," The Professor said, not wanting to mention the possibility of the Bonding without checking on things first. She wanted to address the immediate concern of Harry's situation and see if something couldn't be done.

"Molly, can I came over and talk to you, it is rather urgent but it doesn't have anything to do with any of your children directly," Minerva said.

Molly was relieved to hear none of her children were in trouble and that made her intrigued to hear what Minerva had to say. "By all means, come over. I was just sitting down to tea and would welcome the company."

Within moments Minerva McGonagall appeared in the Burrow. She sat down and took a sip of the tea that Molly already had waiting.

"What's so urgent?" Molly asked.

Minerva took a deep breath to calm herself. "I need to talk to you about Harry," she said plainly. "If only half of what he told me is true and I have no doubt that all of it is, I can not in good conscious let him return to his so called relatives for the summer."

Molly paled at what Minerva said. "What is going on?" she asked, afraid for the young boy who was fast becoming like a son to her.

"He has been systematically abused and neglected at their hands. In fact I'm convinced that Harry did not tell me everything, and what he told me was horrifying enough," Minerva said vehemently.

"What can I and Arthur do?" Molly asked immediately.

"While I know you and Arthur are not that well of financially I know you have a strong loving family and I was wondering if Harry couldn't stay here for the summers."

Molly smiled, "Of course Harry would be welcomed here, he has always gotten along well with all our children and I can't see any reason that he wouldn't love to stay here."

Minerva relaxed considerably. Her first hurdle had been cleared. "I was also wondering if you wouldn't consider becoming Harry's guardians," she asked.

Molly was taken a little by surprise, "Why? Is that really necessary?"

"Right now his Aunt is listed as his legal guardian and if she is treating Harry as I believe he is being treated, I think it is for the best if he have a new guardian or guardians. If you wouldn't object I'd like to be listed as co-guardian, it will make it easier to deal with certain people," Minerva explained.

Molly, ever the shrewd one, said knowingly, "Albus Dumbledore."

Minerva could only smile and nod her head, she knew Molly was sharp and probably understood more than she usually let on.

"Would you be willing to go with me to the Ministry right now? I think we can catch Amelia and maybe get this handled today," Minerva said with a shrewd smile.

Molly rose, "Let me go change and I'll be back in a couple minutes."

Minerva relaxed, sipping her tea once more as Molly went to get ready. If things went as well as they had so far, they could have everything handled before Albus knew anything about it.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Arthur Weasley sat at his desk, reading a rather dull report about a series of minor muggle baiting crimes, enchanted keys, brooms and the like. Nothing serious but troublesome in their underlying intent.

"Arthur Dear," he heard from the door to his office.

Arthur looked up and was surprised to see his wife, Molly standing there.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, confused by her appearance.

"Come Arthur, we don't have a lot of time," she said as she grabbed his arm and yanked him to his feet.

"What's going on dear?" he asked in confusion.

He barely heard her reply as she hurried him along the halls, all he caught was something about Harry, the Burrow and it was criminal. The next thing he knew he was in Amelia Bone's office and being pushed into a chair next to Minerva McGonagall.

Amelia looked at him and Molly and asked, "Is that OK with you?"

Arthur looked bewildered but he heard Molly say "Yes."

Amelia smiled and said "OK, lets get going then."

Molly grabbed him by the arm again and hauled him to his feet, everyone else seemed to be smiling and he still had no idea what was going on. As they made their way to the lifts he whispered to Molly, "Care to explain what's going on?"

"Really Arthur, didn't you pay the slightest attention to what I was saying?" Molly said in a huff.

Before he could reply, the lift opened and Molly dragged him in after Amelia and Minerva. His head still spinning, the next thing he knew they were in the lobby. Amelia was casting a disillusionment charm on their robes so the seemed to be wearing muggle suits and dresses and in a moment they were Apparating somewhere.

Arthur blinked at the bright sunlight as they appeared in a small park somewhere and the three women set off at a brisk clip. He hurried to follow, still wishing he knew what was going on. Again before he could get anyone to clarify what was happening they were at the door of a residence in the neighbourhood they had appeared in.

He barely had time to look around before the door was opening and Amelia was speaking to a rather horse-faced woman who at first seemed very reluctant to allow them into her home.

After Amelia flashed some type of credential, the woman reluctantly let them in.

At first he was fascinated by his surroundings, he recognized he was in a muggle house and everything seemed to scream for his attention. There were so many fascinating things to look at.

His attention was finally drawn to the four women, in the parlour. The horse-faced woman had a disgusted look on her face as Minerva and Amelia were talking evenly but forcefully to her.

She finally looked from one to the other and spat, "Well as long as I never have to see him again, I don't care. I never really wanted him in the first place. Give me that damn paper and I'll sign it."

Petunia Dursley, grabbed the pen and document, scribbled her name furiously and handed them back to Amelia Bones. "Is that it?" she said indignantly.

Molly was glaring at the muggle woman, "Does he still have anything here that belongs to him?" she asked, her voice dripping with her distaste.

"How should I know, I never set foot in his room if I don't have to," Petunia sneered.

"Where is it?" Minerva said sternly.

"Upstairs, last room on the right."

Minerva and Molly marched up stairs and returned a few minutes later with a small box. Petunia eyed it with a frown but didn't say anything.

"We'll be leaving now," Minerva said, eyeing Petunia like she was something loathsome and to be pitied for her lack of tolerance.

With one last look around, the Four Witches and Wizard, turned on the spot and disappeared with a crack.

**XX HP + GW XX**

**A/N: Well things are certainly happening, Harry is finally Dursley Free! I'm sure Albus isn't going to be pleased but I feel Harry's well being is more important.**

**JKR owns the Potter Universe, I'm just here to play around with her toys. **

**As always please Review.**


	3. Coming Home

**Harry and Ginny: A Love Story**

**Chapter 3: Going Home**

Harry, Ginny and Hermione sat eating their lunches. Hermione noticed that Harry and Ginny kept glancing at the head table. The only thing she saw that was a bit unusual was that Professor McGonagall was missing.

While Professor Dumbledore was often missing at meals, lunch especially, it was very unusual that McGonagall wasn't there. Gleaning nothing from that fact, she turned her attention back to Harry and Ginny.

She couldn't really see anything different, though they did seem to spend quite a bit more time staring at each other. Hermione could only shake her head, that fact did nothing to help her understand what was happening.

"_Where do you think McGonagall is?" _Harry asked.

"_I suppose she is off handling what she said she was going to take care of," _Ginny replied soothingly. "_She has only been gone a short time, you need to be patient Harry."_

Harry nodded and sighed. After all this time he wanted things to happen in a hurry. He desperately wanted to be done with the Dursley's and the sooner he found out something the better, as far as he was concerned.

Ginny sympathetically patted Harry's leg under the table, letting him know that she was truly there for him and that he needed to let what needed to be done, get done.

Sighing, Harry looked once more at Ginny, "_Thanks Ginny," _he sent in appreciation of her support.

"_Any time Harry,"_ Ginny sent back with a smile.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Arthur was still very confused when they reappeared back at the Ministry. He was further thrown off by Amelia turning to them, smiling and saying "Congratulations you three."

Arthur could only nod, noticing the very pleased looks on Molly's and Minerva's faces. Seeing Minerva turn to talk to Amelia, he took the opportunity to grab Molly's arm and whisper to her, "Are you going to tell me what just happened?"

Molly chuckled, "Really Arthur, you mean to tell me you have no idea what just took place?"

Arthur got a relieved look on his face, finally he was getting somewhere. "That's exactly what I'm saying."

"Come on Arthur, it's just about lunch time, why don't we go over to the Leaky Cauldron and I'll explain everything to you."

"OK Dear," Arthur said. At least he'd get to find out what was going on, even if it did cost him for the lunches.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Minerva turned to Amelia Bones as the head of the MLE prepared to leave. "Do you have one more moment Amelia?" she asked.

Amelia smiled, "Is there something else I can help you with Minerva?" she asked.

"Yes there is," Minerva replied. "Is there somewhere more private we can talk?"

"Let's head back up to my office, we can talk there," Amelia answered.

"That will be fine," Minerva replied, "Just let me say goodbye to Arthur and Molly."

Minerva went over to the Weasley's, "I'll talk to you two later to finalize the details," she said smiling at them.

Arthur was still a bit confused and he hoped Molly would fill him in with all he needed to know.

Molly just smiled and said "That will be fine, Minerva, why don't you come to dinner tonight or tomorrow night."

Minerva nodded, "Let's make it tomorrow night. That will still give us enough time before the end of term to finish the arrangements."

Molly nodded and hugged Minerva, "OK we'll see you then. I need to take mister observant here to lunch and fill him in," she said with a chuckle.

Minerva got a surprised look on her face, "You mean he has no clue what just happened?"

"Apparently not," Molly replied.

Both women laughed and went their separate ways. Molly to take Arthur to lunch and fill him in, Minerva to talk to Amelia Bones to see if she could discover anything more about the possible Bond between Harry and Ginny.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Minerva and Amelia made their way back to Amelia's office, talking about the events that happened that afternoon.

"I'm so glad I was able to help expedite things today, no one should grow up in such an environment," Amelia said with a smile.

"I want you to know that I appreciate what you did Amelia, I never wanted to leave Harry there in the first place. I could just Hex Albus for insisting," Minerva replied, shaking her head.

"Speaking of Albus, I take it he is not aware of what you have done,"Amelia said with a grin.

"No, he knows nothing about it. I want it to be a done deal before he tries to meddle in it," Minerva said, a bit sadly. "I have the feeling he would still want Harry to return there even if the situation isn't as he called it "Ideal"."

Amelia shook her head, "Men! They can be so pigheaded at times."

Minerva laughed, "Yes, and Albus in particular."

The two women finally reached Madam Bone's office, she ushered Minerva inside, followed her in and shut the door. "OK, what do you need to talk to me about," she said as they sat down.

Minerva took a deep breath, "I was hoping you could do some discreet inquiries here at the Ministry," Minerva said hopefully.

Amelia eyed Minerva critically, "What do you need investigated?" she asked, intrigued.

"What do you know of Soul-Bonds?" Minerva countered.

Amelia's eyebrows shot up. "Does this have anything to do with today's events?"

"Not directly," Minerva replied.

"But it pertains to the individual in question."

"Yes," Minerva admitted.

Amelia sat back in her chair and stared at the ceiling for several moments. "I can see why you want to do this discreetly," she said, once more looking back at Minerva.

"Yes, the poor boy has been under enough scrutiny since his return to our world," Minerva said sadly.

"OK, I know what needs to be done, just leave it to me and I should have an answer for you in a day of two at the most," Amelia said, with a smile.

"Thank you Amelia, for everything. I knew I could rely on you," Minerva said, sincerely.

"Well good luck with your ward, I'm sure Albus isn't going to be happy when he finds out what happened."

Minerva chuckled, "No, I don't suppose he will be but my only concern is for Harry. I can handle Albus, don't worry about that."

"I'll let you know as soon as I find out anything," Amelia said, rising to let Minerva out of her office.

"Thanks again Amelia. I'm not sure we could have pulled this off with out Albus knowing without your help."

Minerva left, satisfied with her accomplishments for the day. Harry would be heading off to the Burrow and a much better life and Albus couldn't do a damn thing to stop it.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Harry and Ginny finished their lunches and Ginny could feel Harry's agitation. She took his hand under the table and it seemed to help for a few moments, but then Harry turned to her and said, "Want to go for a walk?"

Ginny smiled at him, hoping to cheer him up and keep him from dwelling on what was happening. "Sure Harry," she said brightly.

Harry helped her rise and without even looking at Hermione they made their way toward the entrance hall to head outside.

Hermione watched them go, still quite perplexed by what was happening. Even though she couldn't put her finger on it, there was definitely something going on with them. Sighing in frustration, she turned back to her lunch, which she had neglected while watching Harry and Ginny.

A few moments later Ron plopped down beside her, his face in a scowl as he piled food on his plate.

"I see Ginny is still hanging out with Harry," he said with a frown.

"Very observant," Hermione said sarcastically, rolling her eyes.

"What?" Ron said forcefully.

"What's wrong with Ginny and Harry spending time together?" Hermione asked, in hopes of understanding Ron's reaction.

Ron shot a look at Hermione, shaking his head as he took a bite of his sandwich. Swallowing, he said, "You just don't understand."

"Well I'm trying to," Hermione replied, her anger starting to rise.

"It's just. . . What I mean is. . . . Oh never mind!" Ron spat out.

"No, please tell me Ron. If it's something I can help with, maybe we can straighten things out," Hermione pleaded.

Ron sighed, still scowling. "I just don't think that she should be hanging out with him, I mean he doesn't have any time for us any more."

"Ron, it's only been one day!" Hermione said in disbelief.

Ron dropped his sandwich in disgust. "Harry's my friend, Hermione. Mine! Why does she have to ruin it?"

Hermione looked at Ron totally bewildered, "What are you talking about Ron? Can't Harry like other people besides you? Do you want me to stop being his friend too?"

"No!" said Ron, a bit more forcefully than he intended. "It's just within the family, you know?" he pleaded.

"No I don't know Ron," Hermione replied, still confused.

Ron sighed, "It's just growing up I always had to share everything and everything was hand-me-downs. I never had anything that was my own," he said morosely.

Hermione began to understand what Ron was driving at, not that she agreed, to her he was being childish. Jealous of Ginny's growing friendship with Harry and she felt sorry for her friend.

"Ron, Harry isn't some toy or piece of clothing, he's a person who has his own feelings, wants and desires. You can't expect to control who he likes, can you?" she asked in disbelief.

Ron leaned his head into his hands, which he had braced on the table by his elbows. "I knew you wouldn't understand," he whined.

"Oh, I understand all right. I just think that you're only thinking of yourself and not of Harry and Ginny," Hermione said in disappointment.

Ron sighed again, his morose attitude radiating out and affecting those around him.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Harry and Ginny ended up down by the lake, Harry sitting against a tree and Ginny close by, laying on her stomach facing him. She was idly playing with some blades of grass and they were just talking quietly.

Harry kept asking her about growing up at the Burrow and she was telling him loads of stories about her and her brothers.

Whenever Ginny asked about his life growing up, he gave her short very vague answers before asking her for another one about her and her family.

Ginny regaled him about Christmases, birthdays and everyday occurrences that made life at the Burrow so much fun. She had Harry laughing so hard his sides hurt and he had fallen over so that he was lying next to her, head to head.

Their eyes locked and they just smiled at one another, content for the moment that things would be all right.

"_Oh Ginny, you make it sound so wonderful, I wish that I could live somewhere like that," _Harry sent wistfully.

"_Who knows Harry, sometimes wishes come true," _Ginny sent with an encouraging smile.

Harry's smile faltered, "_I don't know Ginny, I've been wishing for as long as I can remember and nothing has happened yet, I try not to get my hopes up so I won't be disappointed."_

Ginny's heart went out to Harry, saddened by the brutality that he was forced to grow up enduring. She hoped that McGonagall would be able to come through for him, she felt he certainly deserved it.

It was late afternoon when they finally made their way back into the castle, hand in hand they had just entered the Entrance Hall and were starting up the stairs heading for the Gryffindor Common Room, when they heard their names being called.

When they stopped and turned around they saw Professor McGonagall coming up to them. "I would like to talk to you two, if you have a few moments," the Professor said.

Harry felt his heart leap into his throat, as much as he wanted to hear what she had to say, he was afraid that he would be disappointed again. He tried to read the Professor's demeanour but she was as stoic as usual.

So it was a bit of trepidation that he and Ginny followed her back to her office. She ushered them inside and closed the door. Harry stood there tensely, with Ginny almost as tense as she felt him through the Bond.

Minerva looked at them both stoically before she went and sat down, indicating for them to do likewise. It was then that she smiled at them and she said gently, "Harry, I'm happy to tell you that you never have to go back to the Dursley's ever again."

Harry could barely believe his ears, "You mean it?" he asked earnestly.

"Yes Harry, I've made all the arrangements, I got your Aunt to yield custody of you so you now have new guardians."

Harry looked at Ginny, his eyes alight with wonder.

"_OH Harry! Isn't that wonderful,"_ Ginny sent, her heart filled with joy for him.

"_I can't hardly believe it!" _Harry sent back. He looked back to the Professor, "Who's my new guardian?" he asked.

"You now have three new guardians Harry," Minerva said kindly. "I'm one of them and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley are the others."

Ginny looked at her with her eyes wide and a huge grin on her face, "You mean Harry is coming to live at the Burrow?"

"Yes Ginny, that's exactly what I mean, that is if Harry agrees," she said her eyes dancing with merriment.

Harry sat there stunned for a moment, "The Burrow" he said to himself. Suddenly it was all too much and tears began to fall and run down his cheeks as his emotions got away from him.

Ginny wasn't concerned when he began to cry, she could feel his happiness and sense of relief. She gently took him into a hug, "It's OK," she said softly. "I'm so happy for you."

Harry hugged Ginny back hard before he broke away and threw himself at Minerva, hugging her just as tightly. "Thank you," he exclaimed emotionally. "Thank you so much."

"You're very welcome Harry. I take it then you have no objections to your new home?" she said with a chuckle.

Harry couldn't help but laugh, "No, none at all." he said beaming.

"I didn't think you would," Minerva said kindly. "Now as to the other thing we talked about, I have someone looking into things and should have an answer in a day or two. I would also like to keep this all a secret for now, if certain people found out before you get home it could cause a spot of trouble but don't worry because it is all legal and filed with the Ministry."

"Thank you again Professor," Harry said fervently.

"Harry since I'm now one of your guardians, in private you can call me Minerva," she said with a smile.

"I'll try," Harry said thoughtfully. Then he smiled, "Is it OK if I call you Aunt Minerva?"

Minerva smiled back, "If you want to Harry, I'd like that very much."

Harry hugged her again and as he was pressed into her he said softly, "Thanks again Aunt Minerva, I can't begin to tell you how much this means to me."

Minerva returned his hug, "I'm pretty sure I can tell how much without you having to put it into words."

Ginny not to be left out, hugged her too after Harry was done, "Thank you for caring so much," she whispered.

"It's my pleasure," Minerva whispered back.

After Ginny had stepped back and taken Harry's hand again, Minerva looked at them and said "Off with you two now. I still have work to do."

"Yes Aunt Minerva," they both said, as they turned to go.

Minerva watched them leave, her heart feeling happier than she had in a long time and she also felt years younger too. Somehow dealing with the two young Gryffindor's was effecting her too.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Hermione watched as Harry and Ginny came into the Common Room and it was obvious that something had happened. Where at lunch they had been tense, moody and nervous, they now exuded a sense of elation. You could just tell by looking at them that they were exceedingly happy.

They made there way over to the couch in front of the fire and sat down. They virtually bubbled with excitement and happiness. They sat there glancing at one another, breaking out into huge smiles when they did so.

Hermione also noticed they tended to keep in contact, mostly holding hands but occasionally Harry putting his arm around Ginny's shoulders and leaning together. The thing she found strangest was they weren't talking to one another, just making eye contact, smiling with the occasional giggle or chuckle.

She just found their behaviour more and more bizarre the more she watched them.

Harry and Ginny sat down in front of the fire, both exceedingly happy with what McGonagall had told them. Harry was going to live at the Burrow!

"_Ginny, I can't hardly believe it. Please tell me it's not all a dream and I'll wake up and have to go back to my relatives," _Harry said, trying hard not to shout out loud.

"_Harry, you're not dreaming, unless I'm dreaming too," _Ginny replied. "_On top of it my parents are now your guardians and no one can take you away from us. It's almost like I have a new brother."_

Harry blushed deeply, "_What if I don't want to be your brother? I don't think a brother should feel like I do about you."_

Ginny looked at Harry with widening eyes, "_Just what do you mean by that Mr Potter?"_

Harry blushed deeper still, "_Well,. . .I, ah, I hope that you'll be more than my sister, I mean I kind of fancy you. It's weird, I can't really explain it, maybe it has something to do with the Bond Aunt Minerva was talking about."_

Ginny blushed too, looking at Harry shyly, _"Maybe there is something to that because I don't feel very sisterly to you either. It's more like I want you as a boyfriend. I only said something about a brother because you'll be at the Burrow all the time."_

Harry could only smile at Ginny, the feeling of their connection seeming to grow stronger. It was like the mind-speaking was getting strengthened the more they used it and their ability to feel each others emotions increased as well.

"_Ginny, I'm not sure what is happening but all I can say is I like it, It's like we've been given something special. Something that no one can take away from us," _Harry said looking deep into Ginny's eyes.

"_I know Harry, I feel the same way. I don't think I'd like it to go back the way it was before. It would feel like losing a part of myself. I feel you're part of me now and I find that wonderful."_

Harry couldn't help himself, he wrapped his arms around Ginny and pulled her into a big hug. Ginny's head rested on his shoulder and he buried his face into her hair, inhaling deeply, letting Ginny's wonderful, flowery fragrance fill him up.

Ginny sighed, smiling as she felt Harry's arms encircle her. It made her feel so safe and secure, something she felt she had lost this past year with her struggle against Tom Riddle.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Amelia Bones made her way deep down into the bowels of the Ministry, heading for a little used and mainly forgotten about room. So obscure and out of the way, that the last she had heard it was only checked once or twice a decade.

Seeing that a Soul-Bond hadn't been recorded in well over six or seven centuries she wasn't surprised that it wasn't checked that often.

She had once asked why a spell wasn't placed on it to notify someone that a new Bond had been recorded and she was pointedly told that it had been tried in the past but that the book had resisted all efforts to have any spell or enchantment placed on it. The Unspeakable who had told her that had frowned at her deeply, acting as if she was highly insulted that a new intern in the MLE would dare question anyone from the Department of Mysteries.

Amelia turned the last corner and saw the door she was looking for straight ahead. Just as she was just about to the door, an elderly Unspeakable exited from the room she was headed for.

She frowned, it just seemed too coincidental that someone would be there at this time to check on bondings. She looked closely at the man and was surprised she didn't recognize him. Though she didn't know all the Unspeakables, she recognized most, especially the older ones who had been around forever. The Unspeakables only took young graduates who dedicated their lives to whatever it was the Unspeakables did.

As she neared him, he gave her a short bow, "Madam Bones," he said amicably. He smiled at her and said softly, "The information you are looking for is right where you expected it to be. I'm sure you'll be surprised and delighted to read it." With that he bowed again and continued on his way.

Amelia went and opened the door, a matter of just a couple of steps, her curiosity raised she turned to look at the man again and she was shocked to see the corridor was empty. The was no way he could have traversed the length of the hallway in that short of time and there were extremely strong anti-apparation and portkey wards in place for this part of the Ministry.

Amelia stared down the corridor for several moments trying to figure out where the man could have gone. Coming up with no answers she turned and went into the room. It was empty save for a book stand against the far wall holding one huge ancient tome along with wall sconces flanking it giving the only light in the room.

She got the feeling that the room had been unused for a long time and if she hadn't just seen someone exit, she wouldn't have believed that anyone had been here in years.

She went over to the book and read the page that the book was open to. At the top of the left hand page she read Albert Gerald Smythson to Abigail Marie Cooper – December 12th,1258. Just below that was Harry James Potter to Ginevra Molly Weasley – May 29th 1993.

Amelia Bones stared at the page for several moments, struck speechless as she looked at the information. She understood Minerva's request for secrecy and the urgency with which she had pressed for the information.

Amelia turned quickly and headed back to her office, tomorrow be damned, she planned to go see Minerva tonight, this information needed to be handled quickly and quietly. She knew that Minerva wanted to know as soon as possible so she hurried to the Apparation point wanting to get to Hogsmeade as fast as she could.

She would send Rosemerta's Owl to summon Minerva to the Three Broomsticks, there was no way to enter Hogwarts without Albus knowing.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Harry and Ginny sat together at dinner, much to the displeasure of Ron who sat next to Hermione, frowning the whole time he wasn't shovelling food into his mouth.

Harry and Ginny, though aware of Ron, chose to ignore him, smiling with the secret knowledge that Harry would be coming to live at the Burrow. Ron was in for a huge shock.

Ginny sighed while looking at Ron, "_How do you think he's going to react when we get home?" _she asked Harry wistfully.

"_I honestly don't know, Ginny. I hope he can accept it and us being friends. You mean way to much for me to give up what we have,"_ Harry replied.

Ginny could feel Harry's emotions flooding at her. It was stronger than ever and she found it a little overwhelming. It filled her heart with such joyous feelings she thought she'd pass out from it's intensity.

"_Merlin Harry, what's going on?" _Ginny asked, her body visibly trembling with the emotions running through her.

Harry wasn't much different, he felt the same things encompassing him, "_I don't know Ginny, all I know is that it feels right, and that everything will be OK."_

Both were aware that Ron and Hermione were looking at them intensely, but they didn't care, all that mattered was their connection and their feelings for one another.

Slowly they came back to themselves, and they became aware of the room around them once again. Harry saw Minerva looking at them with great concern, she was also glancing at Dumbledore who luckily didn't seem aware that anything had taken place. He was in a deep conversation with Pomona Sprout who was on the opposite side from Minerva so that he wasn't facing the Gryffindor table.

Minerva sighed in relief as whatever was effecting Harry and Ginny subsided. They seemed a bit dazed and were breathing hard, but they weren't showing any more outward signs of anything being wrong and seemed to be recovering quickly.

Luckily dinner ended shortly afterwards and Albus remained ignorant of anything happening between Harry and Ginny. Though Minerva was a bit worried about the way Hermione Granger was looking at the young couple, that girl was sometimes smarter than for her own good.

Well there wasn't much Minerva could do about that at the moment, all she could do was try and keep an eye on things and maybe try to distract Hermione if she caused too much trouble.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Minerva hurried to the Three Broomsticks, wondering what was so urgent. She had been surprised to find an Owl waiting when she got back to her office, She had a hard time believing that Amelia could have found out anything so quickly and even if she did, why was it so important that it couldn't wait till tomorrow.

She entered the Pub and saw Amelia sitting alone at a small table at the back of the room. It was situated that anyone sitting there had the most privacy available in the Pub and had a great view of the rest of the room.

As she approached the table she saw that Amelia was enjoying a goblet of Rosemerta's finest Oak matured Mead and that she already had a goblet waiting for her.

Minerva sat down and took a sip of the Mead, it gently warmed her mouth and throat as she swallowed. The taste was rich, smoky and mellow, and Minerva savoured it immensely.

After a couple sips Minerva looked at Amelia and said softly, "Well, what is so important that it couldn't wait?" she asked.

Amelia smiled, "Sorry I just had to come and talk to you, I don't think I could have slept if I didn't tell you."

Minerva looked at her expectantly, and was a little annoyed when Amelia took another sip of her mead. Finally she looked at Minerva and chuckled. "I could hardly believe it and something very odd happened too."

Minerva was getting quite agitated with Amelia, "Well what did you find out?" she asked a little testily.

"There is a new Soul-Bond listed and you were correct that it concerns the young man we spoke of, his betrothed is one Ginevra Weasley, it said the bond was formed on the 29th," Amelia said with a grin.

Minerva nodded, she suspected as much, "Were you able to find out anything about what the Bond means?" she asked.

"Yes, I did a little research before coming here. Since the couple in question is so young the bonding is more like a betrothal, than a marriage but it is still a very serious thing. All indications are that once Bonded, the couple is tied together no matter what, any attempt to alter that could have dire repercussions."

Minerva nodded once again, "Anything else?"

"Not concerning the Bond itself, but something strange happened when I went down to check on the Bonding. As I approached the room, the door opened and someone came out. I didn't recognize him at all and because of his age, I should have known him at least by sight."

"Anyway he called me by name, told me the information I was seeking was there and then he turned and left. The really strange thing was when I turned around to ask him a question a few seconds later, he had disappeared," Amelia said, her brow furrowed in concentration. "The thing is there hadn't been enough time for him to traverse the Hallway to get out of sight and there are very powerful wards to prevent magical means of transportation. He just disappeared."

Minerva was glad that the Bond had been confirmed and she knew it was going to come as a shock, especially to Molly. She tended to be very protective of her children, Ginny more so than her brothers just because she was the first female born into the Weasley family for many generations.

The more she thought of it, the more she knew she'd have to look into it too. Ginny was the seventh child and if Minerva remembered correctly, it had been seven generations since a female had been born into the Weasley bloodline. She wondered if there were any more sevens involved with the youngest Weasley.

The two Witches finished their drinks, talking about the interplay of the political scene at the Ministry and how much Albus was going to have kneazles when he found Harry wasn't at the Dursley's any more.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Minerva appeared at the Burrow, wondering how the information of the Bonding would effect having Harry come live at the Weasley's home. The door opened almost immediately, as if Arthur had been waiting for her to knock.

Arthur greeted her warmly as he shut the door behind her, took her cloak and had her sit at the table.

Molly was busy putting the finishing touches on the dinner she had prepared but did take out a moment to come over and give the Professor a welcoming hug, before she went back to the stove.

Arthur had broken out one of the special bottles of Elvish wine and poured everyone a glass as Molly brought everything to the table.

They ate their meals with nothing but idle conversation, manners dictated that serious discussions waited till after pudding and they could retire to the parlour with cups of tea.

Finally they were all seated comfortably in the parlour and the time for the serious conversation to take place had arrived.

Minerva smiled and said, "I take it you have brought Arthur up to speed on what has happened so far." She was surprised but amused when Arthur blushed slightly while Molly giggled at her statement.

"Yes, the poor dear," Molly said with a smile. "I really didn't realize just how hurriedly we did everything the other day. I'm really glad that he didn't protest or anything as that could have caused some problems."

"Well I figured Molly seemed to know and if it was that important, I'd just trust her judgement," Arthur said with a grin.

"I take it from your reaction that you have no objections then to having Harry come live here?" Minerva asked, even though his answer seemed quite apparent.

"None what so ever, I can't think of a finer boy, so polite and unassuming. I just hope we don't overwhelm him at first," Arthur chuckled.

"Well that's great to hear, but I do have another bit of information that just came to light and I hope it doesn't give you a reason to change your minds," Minerva said, a bit nervously.

Molly and Arthur looked quite confused. "I can't think of anything that you could say that would alter our thinking on Harry," Molly said, Arthur nodding in agreement.

"Not even if I told you the he has formed a Soul-Bond with your daughter," Minerva said softly, watching closely to gauge their reactions.

At first it almost seemed that they hadn't heard, because they didn't react at all. Then the Weasley's looked at each other, neither saying a word.

Finally Molly cleared her throat and looked back at Minerva, "A Soul-Bond, you say."

"Yes, Amelia confirmed it yesterday," Minerva said.

"But there hasn't been a Bonding since. . . since..." Molly said looking around wildly, trying to come up with a date.

"1258," Minerva supplied.

Arthur raised an eyebrow up into his hair line, "That long?" he asked softly.

"Yes," Minerva said succinctly. "Amelia gave me that little tidbit when she told me about the Bond."

Molly looked at Arthur, a worried look on her face, "What does this all mean?" she asked.

"Well due to their ages it is like an old Betrothal contract, though as far as I know there is no way to get out of it short of one of the parties dying," Minerva said lowly.

Molly sighed, looking quite forlorn, "My poor baby," she lamented.

Arthur placed his arm around her shoulders, "There, there Molly. Don't fret, we'll work through this."

"But Arthur, she's only eleven! Much to young to be betrothed!" Molly said, trying hard not to cry.

"The question is does this effect your position about bringing Harry here?" Minerva asked, trying to keep things on topic.

Arthur looked serious, "To tell the truth, I don't think so. We'll need to practice some increased vigilance, but other than that I can't think of any objections. I mean it wouldn't matter where he was, if what I've heard is true then we couldn't keep them apart if we tried. Ginny would just find a way to get out and to him, at least this way we can monitor them,"Arthur said realisticly.

"But Arthur," Molly cried softly.

"No Molly, we have to think about both of them, we agreed to be his guardians and that's just what we're going to do and be. He's our responsibility now, no offence Minerva," Arthur said seriously.

"None taken, Arthur. "While I am legally one of Harry's guardians I know that he will be living here, and while we're talking about that, I insist that we split Harry's expenses. I will not have you assuming all the financial responsibility," Minerva said emphatically.

Molly seemed ready to protest but Arthur cut her off, "We wouldn't have it any other way, Minerva. I can tell you care about Harry too."

"Lily and James were two of my favourite students, they were so happy when Harry was born, so proud. I will do whatever it takes to help him," Minerva said a bit emotionally.

Molly knew just how much Minerva must be feeling, for the usually stoic Witch to be showing any emotion at all, she must have been close to breaking down.

"We'll all take care of him, Minerva," Molly said softly, coming over to lay her hand on the older woman's shoulder.

Minerva pulled out a handkerchief and dabbed her eyes, "Look at me, being all weepy and emotional. Next thing you know I'll start asking Severus to tea." She took a few deep breaths to calm herself and after she had recovered, Harry's three guardians made the final arrangements to bring Harry home.

**XX HP + GW XX**

The end of the term had finally arrived and Harry could hardly contain the excitement that he was feeling. He would be going Home and for the first time he was looking forward to it.

He and Ginny had sat up late the previous night, both so excited they couldn't get to sleep. It was only when one of the prefects had come down, scolded them and ordered them to bed had they gone to their rooms.

Sleep had finally come but it had taken them both a long time to calm down. It didn't really help that they kept up their conversation through their Bond after they had gone up to their respective dorms.

They both found it wonderful that even though they couldn't be together physically they could still "talk". Though Ginny had to end up trying to cast a silencing charm because her giggling woke up her dorm-mates, finally when she failed they reluctantly lay down and eventually fell asleep.

After a splendid breakfast where Harry and Ginny had to endure Ron's hostile looks, they were finally on the Hogwarts Express heading home for the summer.

Ron had gone off ride with Dean and Seamus which was just fine as far as Harry and Ginny were concerned. Hermione had opted to ride with them as opposed to enduring the endless talk of Quidditch verses Muggle Football that Ron, Seamus and Dean would be having.

Hermione was a little surprised when they were joined by Neville Longbottom, who was actually a very nice boy, once he got past his nervousness. He knew quite a lot about the Wizarding World, especially the High Society goings on. His Grandmother being something of a Matriarch and Society Leader.

Hermione really found herself hanging on Neville's words as he told stories about the inner workings of Wizarding Society. Harry and Ginny had listened politely for a while before they kind of huddled together, tuning him out and talking mind to mind for the remainder of the trip.

The only incident that Harry found strange was when Malfoy had come by their compartment. He had looked through the glass, sneered at Harry but then kept going. It was as if Ron wasn't there it wasn't worth the effort to stop and annoy them.

After that they settled back into their seats and continued as before. So engrossed were they that it seemed like they had hardly gotten on the train before they were pulling into King's Cross Station.

Harry and Neville helped the girls unload their trunks before they all went off to find those picking them up. Harry was quite surprised when Ron came up beside him and acted like nothing was wrong.

"Where are your relatives?" he asked Harry. "I would have thought that your Uncle would be waiting to get you away as fast as possible."

Harry replied carefully, he didn't want to be the one to break it to Ron that he wasn't being met by his Uncle and that he'd be heading back to the Burrow with the Weasleys. "I don't know," Harry replied truthfully.

Ginny was standing on the other side of Harry trying desperately not to laugh when Ron had asked about Harry's relatives.

"_He's in for a big surprise,"_ Ginny sent with a grin.

Harry glanced at Ginny, though he was a little amused by the situation he was also a bit leery about how Ron would react. He certainly hadn't been very accommodating to Harry and Ginny hanging out while still at Hogwarts.

Just when Harry thought things were going to get a bit dicey, they saw Mr. and Mrs. Weasley making their way through the crowd. They gathered everyone up and pulled them off to the side.

Mrs. Weasley was beaming and couldn't hide the huge smile on her face. The Twins were looking at Harry with amused looks on their faces, Percy looked totally disinterested, just acting slightly annoyed at the delay in their departure. Ron was looking at Harry with a frown on his face, you could literally see him wondering why Harry was still with them. Only Ginny was smiling as widely as her mother.

"Boys," Mr. Weasley said, getting all their attentions. "We have an announcement to make."

Everyone focused their attention on their father, except Ginny, she really wanted to see Harry's and her brother's reactions when it was announced to everyone that he was coming to live with them.

Mr Weasley cleared his throat nervously, "We have always tried to instil in all of you just how important family is and that having a strong supportive family is very essential for growing up happy and health."

Fred rolled his eyes and glanced at George. "Ah Dad, could you just say what the announcement is and leave out the preamble speech? We'd like to get home to Mom's fabulous dinner sometime tonight."

"Hear! Hear!" said George.

Mrs Weasley scowled at them slightly but when even Percy nodded in agreement, Mr. Weasley continued. "Well, OK then. Well the thing is that we have a new addition to the family."

The Weasley boy's all looked puzzled, their mum certainly didn't look like she'd had a baby and they were sure someone would have mentioned it sometime during the year.

"Just spit it out Dad," George said.

Mr. Weasley smiled, blushing like any other Weasley. "Well the thing is, Harry is coming to live with us."

There was stunned silence for a moment and Harry's heart was in his throat, thinking that maybe the Weasley brothers didn't want him included in their family.

Then suddenly the Twins were all over him, smiling, clapping him on the back, ruffling his hair and shaking his hands. Percy just looked at him and said, "Well, right. Welcome to the family Harry."

Ron was the only one who had a stunned look on his face, not saying anything, just eyeing Harry with a weird look on his face but Harry couldn't gauge his reaction because of the Twins.

Ginny of course squealed with delight, even though she had known all along, she couldn't help but let out her joy. She hugged Harry tightly, "_Welcome to the family,"_ she sent.

Harry just smiled at her, returning her hug and letting her feelings for him wash through him like a cleansing stream. He couldn't remember ever feeling so loved.

Molly and Arthur kept a close watch on Harry and Ginny, trying to gauge their interaction. The biggest thing they noticed was that Harry and Ginny were almost always within arms length of each other and though they didn't say much to each other they seemed to know exactly what the other was thinking or wanted.

Harry noticed that most of the other people had left the platform so it was with relative ease that they were able to get everyone's things together and head off to the Burrow.

**XX HP + GW XX**

It seemed in a blink of the eye they were all back at the Burrow, the twins charging past everyone, hauling their trunks up the stairs to their room. In a few brief moments they were gone, Molly shouting after them to stay out of mischief because she would have dinner ready soon.

Harry stood in the kitchen with a slight bewildered look on his face, there was such a hub-bub of activity around him that he didn't know what to do.

Unbeknown to Harry, Molly and Arthur were keeping an eye on him, they just wanted to see how he would react to the normal chaos that was the Weasley family.

Ginny was also watching Harry closely, trying to take in all that Harry was feeling.

Harry couldn't believe that he was actually at the Burrow. Up till now it had all seemed like a dream and that it would never come true. He turned and looked at Ginny and with a huge smile on his face he sent to her _"I'm Home!"_

Ginny was smiling just as much as he was, seeing his reaction along with feeling the joy and happiness radiating off Harry filled her heart to overflowing.

"_Yes Harry, you're home," _Ginny sent back, pouring her love into their connection.

Harry turned to her, with tears beginning to form in his eyes, "_Ginny, I can't begin to tell you how much this means to me."_

Arthur and Molly were watching him closely now and they could see his emotions coming over him. Molly got a little concerned when she saw his tears begin to fall. "Are you OK?," she asked tenderly.

Harry found that his heart had gotten lodged in his throat and no words would come out so he just threw himself at her, taking her into a huge hug. Something so uncharacteristic for him, it took her completely by surprise.

Ginny was smiling widely at Harry and her mother but it quickly turned to a frown as she watched Ron's reaction. He was scowling at Harry and his mother and with one last look of disgust, he turned and stormed up the stairs to his room.

Ginny's eyes had followed him and as she looked back into the kitchen, her eyes caught her father's. He nodded sadly at her, letting her know that he had seen Ron's reaction. Ginny was glad that she wasn't the only one who had seen him.

Harry finally let go of Molly who was beaming at him, but when she turned to have Ron help Harry take his trunk up the stairs, she didn't see him and with a puzzled look on her face she looked at Arthur.

"Where'd Ron go?" she asked.

Arthur crossed the room to her and put his arm around her shoulders, "We'll need to have a little talk later," he said lowly.

Molly nodded, not quite knowing what had happened but she could hear the sadness in her husband's voice and she knew that there had to be some kind of problem.

Smiling once more though, she turned to Ginny, "Why don't you show Harry to his room, dear. It's Bill's old one, I'm sure you remember where it is."

Ginny's smile got even bigger, Harry would be right across the hall from her and she couldn't have been happier if she wanted to.

"Come on, Harry," she said with a grin, as she grabbed the bottom handle on his trunk. "I'll show you to your room."

Harry couldn't help but smile at her, as her happiness radiated back to him through the Bond. He grabbed the other end of the trunk and let Ginny lead him up the stairs.

Ginny opened the door and led him inside. She set her end of the trunk off to the side of the door to allow Harry to stand it up as he came in. Ginny stared at him as he took in his room for the very first time.

Though slightly smaller than Dudley's second bedroom that he had stayed in after they moved him from the cupboard under the stairs, it actually felt bigger because it wasn't filled with all his cousin's broken stuff.

Though the furniture was rather old and mismatched, everything was neat and tidy, the wood polished, the mirror clean and the freshly laundered curtains drawn back to let the light flood into the room.

Harry's eyes tried to take in everything at once. He had a bed! A real bed, not just a old lumpy mattress thrown on the floor in the corner. There were bookshelves and though they weren't quite square, they were sturdy and would hold all his textbooks.

The thing that caught his eye the most though was the stand just inside the window for Hedwig, it was obviously new, handmade by Mr. Weasley.

Hedwig hooted at him softly so he went over to her and gently stroked the feathers on her head and neck. Smiling he said softly, "Hey girl, we're home. No more being locked up, we're both free now."

Ginny's heart cringed as she heard his words, she still couldn't believe that anyone could treat a young boy in such a manner.

Hedwig gave him a much more hearty hoot, indicating that she approved of their new room and with a bob of her head she turned to fly out the window, going hunting unrestricted for the first time away from Hogwarts.

Ginny felt Harry's heart soar with Hedwig as he watched her fly up and out of sight. Knowing he was feeling just as free as his owl was.

She watched Harry take everything in. She could feel the wonder and awe he was feeling as he looked at each and every feature of his very own room. She was practically giddy with the happy emotions she was feeling from him.

She smiled as she went over to him as he stared out the window, watching Hedwig fly off. He was running his hand along the window frame and she felt his emotions change. _"What is it Harry? _She asked, concerned by what she was feeling.

Harry looked up at her and smiled wanly, "No Bars," he said softly. "There aren't any bars on my window," he said his voice choked with emotion.

Ginny's eyes filled with tears and she hugged him tightly. Harry clung to her just as tightly and she slowly felt his melancholy leave him. "_Thanks Ginny," _he sent.

"_You're welcome Harry,"_ she said trying desperately to get her emotions under control too. As they clung together, Ginny leaned her head up and softly kissed Harry on the cheek, "Welcome Home, Harry," she whispered in his ear, and then with a grin she added "See I told you sometimes wishes come true."

Harry tightened his grip on her, his cheek tingling where her lips had touched him. "It's good to be Home," he whispered back as he laid his head on her shoulder, face into her neck so he could breath in her wonderful flowery fragrance. Sighing contently, he knew in his heart he was truly Home.

**XX HP + GW XX**

**A/N: I hope you all liked this next instalment. Harry is safely at the Burrow and Albus is none the wiser. Ron still doesn't seem to be handling it well. I think the Twins think they have a new mark to test things on. **

**Molly's reaction was much more low key than most would think, It's my humble opinion that she still doesn't understand the implication of the bond.**

**Stay tuned for more and as always your reviews are greatly appreciated.**


	4. Settling In

**Harry and Ginny: A Love Story**

**Chapter 4: Settling In **

Harry awoke and for one minute panicked, thinking that his moving into the Burrow had been nothing but a dream, but then suddenly he was shaken out of his stupor by someone jumping on his bed.

"Come on Harry, Get up!" Ginny cried exuberantly. "Mum has breakfast just about ready!"

Harry couldn't help but smile as Ginny's pure unadulterated joy washed over him. Scrambling to find his glasses, he put them on and watched as Ginny jumped up away from him and ran to the door. She paused, looked back at him, smiled and said, 'Come on, breakfast!" and then she was gone.

Harry hurried out of bed, put on his dressing gown and slippers and quickly followed Ginny out the door. He found her waiting for him several steps down. She smiled and extended her hand to him, which he took with a smile that matched hers,

Ginny drug Harry into the kitchen and pushed him into a seat before going to grab a couple of plates from where Molly was filling them next to the stove. She brought them over and set one down in front of Harry as she sat down next to him with her own.

"Juice?" she asked him with a smile.

"Please," Harry answered with a silly grin on his face.

Never before had he received such treatment, especially during the summer holiday.

Molly watched the two youngsters in awe. Seemingly with out words they helped, passed items and ate, all without speaking.

Harry was taking a bite of his eggs and glanced at his toast, wondering if there was any jam. With his mouth full he asked Ginny, "_Hey Ginny, is there any jam?"_

As she was taking a bite of her bacon, she stood up and headed for the pantry. She grabbed two jars of jam and stood in the doorway, "_Peach or Strawberry?" _ she asked as she chewed her bacon.

"_Strawberry," _Harry answered.

All Molly saw was Ginny go to the pantry, come partway back out, stare at the two jars, put one back and come back to the table, setting it down in front of Harry.

"_Thanks Ginny?" _Harry replied.

"_No problem Harry," _Ginny replied.

As Ginny went back to her breakfast, she drained her glass of juice, setting it down and picking up her fork, began to eat. Without missing a beat Harry reached for the flagon and turned to fill Ginny's glass, though he had been looking the other way the whole time.

And so breakfast went, whether it was food or drinks or something else, they moved like a well oiled machine, each seeming to know exactly what the other needed or wanted.

Molly watched, smiling wanly, knowing that whatever this Bond was it seemed to make Ginny and Harry perfectly in tune and if you ignored their ages they acted like a couple who had been married for many years.

Molly's observation was interrupted by the arrival of Ron, who came down the stairs groggily like he always did in the morning. He was rubbing his eyes and yawning mightily as he entered the kitchen, flopping down into a chair and resting his head on his arms that were crossed on the table.

"_Is he always like that here at home?" _Harry asked.

"_Yeah, it's really amazing. Once he's home from Hogwarts it's like he's drained of any energy," _Ginny replied with a giggle.

Ron lifted his head to glare at his sister but when he saw her sitting with Harry he sat up like he'd been jabbed with a hatpin. He looked from one to the other, but just gritted his teeth.

When he looked around for breakfast he saw the platters on the sideboard and looked at his mother expectantly. Molly shot him a piercing gaze, brow furrowed, and said "Ginny and Harry served themselves, you can do the same," and went back to eating hers.

Ron mumbled under his breath in a very sarcastic voice, "Ginny and Harry served themselves. Well la de da,"

Unfortunately he wasn't quite quiet enough and Molly heard him. "Ronald Weasley! That will be enough of that! After breakfast I want you to degnome the garden, and I expect it to be Gnome free when I come check on it," she said hotly.

Ron just glared at Harry, who just couldn't understand Ron's continued hostility.

"_Did I do something wrong?" _Harry asked Ginny, with a perplexed look on his face.

"_Only in Ron's eyes, I'm afraid," _Ginny replied sadly. "_I just don't understand this continued dislike of our relationship and unfortunately it looks like you're going to bear the brunt of it."_

Harry and Ginny finished eating and as they got up Ginny reached for her dirty dishes.

"_I'll get them Ginny," _Harry sent with a smile as he reached and added hers with his.

"_Why Thank you Harry,"_ Ginny sent with a smile.

While Ginny headed off upstairs to get dressed, Harry took the dirty dishes and set them in the sink. He turned around and looked and felt uneasy. He didn't know what he was expected to do.

Molly saw the distress on his face and asked, "Is there something wrong Harry?"

Harry just shrugged his shoulders, "I was just wondering what you wanted me to do," he said softly.

Molly looked at him perplexed, "What do you mean Harry?"

Harry had a hard time meeting her eyes and played with the end of the belt of his dressing gown absent-mindedly. "Well it was just that at my relatives I was expected to do the chores," he said off-handedly.

"Well what did they have you do?" Molly asked pleasntly.

"Well most everything," Harry replied without thinking, "I cooked and cleaned, did the yard-work, mowing the lawn, trimming the bushes, painting the house and shed. Stuff like that."

"My goodness Harry, you had to help with all that?" she asked with a chuckle.

Harry's face darkened some, and he looked back down at the floor. "Helped?" he asked. "No I was expected to do them all by myself. The only thing my Aunt ever did was the kitchen after I had done it, saying that I never got it clean."

Molly couldn't believe her ears, if she was hearing Harry right it looked like he was the Dursley's personal servant, if not out and out slave. Just to make sure she understood him right Molly asked him, "What chores did your cousin have to do?"

Harry almost choked, "Dudley? Chores? That's a laugh. Dudley never did anything around the house at all except try to get me in trouble," Harry replied lowly.

Molly was usually a pretty patient person, especially when it came to children, but here was a twelve year old who had just told her that he did all the cooking, cleaning, and maintenance inside and out of a whole household. The news shocked her and struck her speechless for a moment.

Ron had been listening and the more he heard the bigger the look of disbelief he had on his face. Finally hearing enough he got up, leaving his dishes on the table and headed upstairs to get changed.

Harry looked at her very uneasy, wondering if he had done something wrong, within moments, Ginny came flying down the stairs, one trainer still in her hand.

"_What's wrong Harry?" _she asked panicking slightly at the strong feeling of unease she was getting through the Bond.

Harry gave her a brief summary of what he had just told Molly and her eyes widened in wonder. "Harry that's awful," she said out loud.

Molly was shaken out of her thoughts by Ginny's voice, what surprised her was that she didn't think that Ginny had been close enough to hear Harry's story.

"Harry, why don't you just go get changed for now," Molly said kindly. "Then come on back down here, OK?

Harry nodded his head but before he left, he gathered Ron's dishes and added them to the pile already in the sink.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Minerva McGonagall sat in her usual spot at the head table, right next to Albus Dumbledore. There would be about one week of getting things tied up from the just completed school year before most of the staff left on the holidays.

She glanced a Albus, smiling to herself with the knowledge that the Great Dumbledore as at this moment totally ignorant of the where-abouts of one Harry James Potter.

She was woken from her revery by Albus asking her a question. She turn to him and asked, "I'm sorry. What was that Albus?"

Albus chuckled, "I just said I was surprised that you didn't make a fuss this year about Harry returning to his relatives," he said with a smile.

Minerva had to stifle her smile, "Well I thought you made it perfectly clear about where you were sending him," she said evenly.

"Yes, but it seems a little out of character for you to give up so easily," Albus retorted.

"I must be getting older," Minerva said softly.

Albus looked at her for a moment before saying, "Aren't we all Minerva, aren't we all."

Minerva almost lost it at that point but was able to pass it off as something in her throat, allowing her to cover the smile that crept onto her face with her napkin. She knew soon enough that Albus would find out that Harry wasn't where he thought he was and hopefully she would be ensconce in her ancestral home when that happened. Even Albus had to tread lightly at the McGonagall Castle.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Ron seethed while getting dressed, he couldn't believe the way everyone was fawning over the "Great" Harry Potter. First it was with his sister and now it was happening with his Mum too.

Plus the story he was telling, how could he expect them to believe that, no one could possibly be treated like Harry had said that he was. Did he think that his family would really buy that load of Dragon Dung that he seemed to be selling.

Ron finished putting on some of his rattier clothes, since he was going to be spending most of the day de-gnoming the garden, he didn't want to wear anything that good that could get damaged or soiled.

Trying his trainers as he finished getting dressed, he started to run down the stairs. He saw Harry entering his room and he looked alone. Ron figured he'd take the opportunity to let Harry know that he wasn't fooled and he'd be keeping an eye on him.

Harry's door was slightly ajar, so Ron kind of pushed it open as he knocked on it. Harry looked up with a start, as Ron came into the room. His surprised look quickly changed to one of guarded, distrust as he watched Ron carefully.

"_Ginny, Ron just came into my room,"_ Harry sent, as he continued to get his stuff together.

"_I'll be right there," _Ginny said, worried a little at what Ron might do.

"_OK, but don't hurry unless you hear something , I want to hear what he has to say," _Harry sent.

"Listen Harry," Ron said lowly, "I'm going to be watching you, I don't know what your game is here but I'm not fooled by this martyr image you're trying to sell. The others may be buying it but I'm not and stay away from my sister."

Harry couldn't believe his ears, his supposed best mate retained this hostile attitude that Harry couldn't understand where it came from. "I'll be friends with whomever I feel like it and if your parents don't have a problem with it, I don't see where it's your place to get involved."

Ron just glared at him for a minute before turning abruptly and storm out of the room.

He hadn't been gone a full minute before Ginny came into his room. "Are you OK Harry?" she asked softly. "I want you to know I heard every word that he said."

Harry looked up into Ginny's beautiful chocolate brown eyes, and saw her concern for him shining forth. He felt a warmth come over him, though he didn't understand the Bond yet, he sure liked what he felt because of it.

Standing up he went over and hugged Ginny, "_Thanks for being there for me," _he sent tenderly. "_Now how about letting me get dressed."_

Ginny returned Harry's hug and giggled when he asked about getting dressed. "_OK, but if you're not downstairs in ten minutes, I'm coming back up here to get you."_

"_Fine," _Harry sent with a chuckle. Though he wasn't sure where he fit in here yet, he knew that Ginny would be there to help him find out.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Ginny descended back into the kitchen and Molly knew right away that something was the matter. "What's up, sweetheart?"

Ginny took a deep breath, "Ron stopped in and talked to Harry on his way down, I happened to hear what he said and it wasn't pretty. I think he resents Harry's being here."

Molly nodded, "Thanks for telling me. Your Father and I know that Ron is having difficulties with the events of this past year."

"But why does he resent Harry and me becoming friends so much?" Ginny asked. "I know he, Harry and Hermione were friends last year. Can't he see that something happened between us down in the Chamber? It's not like I'm telling Harry to drop Ron because of me. Why can't he just accept me being with them too?"

Molly blanched at Ginny's mention of the Chamber and she felt a small shudder run trough her. She thought back to how close they had actually come to losing Ginny and it still scared her.

The fact that Harry and Ginny had become friends because of it and had formed the Soul-Bond, still made her mind spin. Molly took a deep calming breath just like Ginny had.

"Unfortunately I don't think your brother realizes just how much that effected you and Harry. He just isn't mature enough yet to know how much of a life changing experience something like that truly is," she said sadly.

Ginny sat down at the table glumly, "Mum, do you think Harry has told us all that happened at his relatives?"

Molly sighed again, "I'm not sure darling. I hope he has but I'm a little leery that maybe he hasn't. If you keep getting closer to him, maybe you can find out."

Ginny nodded thoughtfully. She had the feeling that Harry was trying to keep some of his past from them and if what he had said already was any indication, it had to be pretty bad.

"How can somebody treat someone like that?" she said, looking at her mother plaintively.

"I don't know Ginny, I just don't know."

Harry was just finishing getting dressed when he felt Ginny becoming sad. He wondered what was the cause and thought that maybe she was talking to her Mum about Ron and his attitude.

He bounded down the stairs, making enough noise so that Ginny and Molly would know that he was on his way. He popped into the kitchen, smiling at Ginny, hoping that she would let him in on what her Mum had said about Ron.

"So what can I help with?" he asked brightly.

Molly couldn't help but smile at Harry's exuberance. "Well first off, why not go clean out your trunk and bring down anything that needs to be washed, you too Ginny."

Ginny smiled, "OK Mum," she said happily as she got up and taking Harry's hand began to haul him up the stairs. As they neared Harry's room they were surprised to see the Twins just coming down the stairs, obviously having just woken up.

They groggily passed Harry and Ginny mumbling their good mornings as they made their way down to the kitchen, wearing just their pajamas. Ginny couldn't help but giggle at the way they looked, their hair all messy from sleeping.

Ginny followed Harry into his room and flopped down on his bed while he hauled his trunk out of the closet. He eyed her and couldn't help but chuckle as she watched him closely.

In the past he hardly had time to get his clothes out before his uncle locked it up in the cupboard under the stairs, so he had not cleaned it out until it was time to go back to school.

Harry popped the lid opened and looked at the mess that was the interior of his trunk. Things were mainly just thrown in haphazardly without thought to any sort of organization.

Ginny rolled her eyes and shook her head, "_Boys!"_ she sent exasperatedly. She got up and came down and kneeled next to Harry, giving him a stern look.

"Not very pretty is it?" Harry said ruefully.

"No it's not," Ginny said succinctly. "Let's see if we can't get this a little better organized. She carefully began to take things out of the trunk and sort them into piles.

As she took out any books she found, she handed them to Harry, instructing him to put them on his bookshelves.

Harry was happy to comply, feeling elated that he would actually have access to his books over the summer.

Ginny quickly sorted out the things in Harry's trunk, and surprisingly it took very little time leaving Harry very shocked.

"Here Harry," Ginny said, piling a big stack of clothes into Harry's arms. "Take these down now and then come on back up to my room," Ginny directed.

Harry just smiled and headed downstairs where Molly thanked him for his dirty clothes before sending him back up to help Ginny. He noticed the Twins eyeing him but unlike Ron, he felt their acceptance, though he did kind of feel like a mouse between two hawks.

Ginny had warned him about the Twins perchance for pranking, especially here at the Burrow. Anything that they did at Hogwarts had been thoroughly tested and perfected beforehand.

Harry had the feeling that he'd really need to be on his toes around them. At Hogwarts they had usually pulled their pranks on the other houses unless someone in Gryffindor did something that upset them or if they tried to prank them. He figured that wasn't going to be the way things were here at the Burrow.

By the time Harry got back up to Ginny she had carefully organized his cauldron, telescope and the miscellaneous left overs in his trunk. She had put several quills, his ink bottle and remaining parchment in the small desk.

She was just finishing when Harry came back into the room. He took one look at his trunk and said, "Wow Ginny, that's fantastic!"

Ginny blushed at Harry's praise. "I just thought it might be easier to keep things organized," she said a bit shyly.

"Ginny, I love it. I never had the chance to do this before. I wasn't allowed to keep my trunk and things in my room and wasn't allowed to even get it till a couple days before I was to go to Hogwarts this year," Harry said in awe

Ginny just giggled, "Well that won't be a problem here," she said laying her hand on Harry's arm.

Harry felt like he was being touched by an electric wire. There was a tingling and a warmth spreading from where they were in contact. Harry looked at her hand and he couldn't help himself, he found himself looking up into Ginny's eyes and without knowing why he found himself blushing deeply.

Ginny was having the same reaction, from her hand up her arm there was a deep comforting warmth that filled her with a sense of contentment. She felt the same feeling of safety and security that she had found in his hug when he had found her in the Chamber after he had destroyed Riddle.

Slowly they came together, drawn by some invisible force, their arms wrapping around each other. They both sighed deeply, feeling like they had never before. Somehow they knew that they had found their other half, the one that made them whole.

Ginny rested her head on Harry's shoulder as he slowly backed them towards the bed. Harry twisted them so he could sit on the bed and as he did so he pulled Ginny down into his lap. He then turned and laid Ginny down, his body following hers so that they ended up laying on the bed, still in a loving embrace.

Ginny snuggled closer into Harry, allowing the wonderful feelings she was experiencing to fill her and through the Bond she knew that Harry was experiencing the same thing she was.

Now words were necessary, not even mind-speaking. They just stared into one another's eyes, smiling at the other. Ginny finally laid her head back on Harry's shoulder and he pulled her tightly into himself. As he inhaled deeply he felt Ginny's bewitching fragrance fill his senses with the essence of her and even though it was only mid morning, they both drifted off to sleep.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Molly wondered what had become of Harry and Ginny. After Harry had brought down his laundry from his trunk, she expected that Ginny would follow suit in a little while.

When she was caught up she headed upstairs to find out what they were up to. She spied Fred and George lounging in the parlour, not even bothering to get dressed yet. Rolling her eyes she gave a chuckle and said, "Going to laze about all day in your Pjs?"

Fred looked up and said casually, "No Mum, just till fashionably late in the afternoon."

George added with a cheeky grin, "Yeah Mum, it's only the first day of the holiday."

"And us men of leisure never get dressed before noon," added Fred.

"Get you lazy carcases up stairs his minute and get changed or they'll be no lunch for you two," she said sternly.

"Aw, Mum!" they both said, protesting but getting up at the same time.

They followed Molly up the stairs, pausing when she glanced into Ginny's room and finding it empty, she frowned and crossed the hall to check Harry's room.

She was surprised to find them both there, arms and legs intertwined as they slept peacefully, unaware that they were being watched.

The Twins glanced over Molly's shoulder and then looked at their mother, wondering why she wasn't screaming and yelling at the two youngsters before them.

"Ah, Mum?" George asked.

"Is there some reason why your not having one of your epic fits?" Fred added.

Molly glanced at the Twins and sighed. With one last glance at Harry and Ginny she quietly withdrew from Harry's room and softly shut the door.

Fred and George's eyes widened at their mothers action.

"Get changed boys and then come down to the parlour," she said a bit sadly and then with one last glance at the door she headed back downstairs while the Twins went and got changed.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Nymphadora Tonks kept looking at the small all too perfect house across the street from her hiding place. She found it odd that she hadn't had one glimpse of the one she was supposed to be checking on.

Though she knew from Dumbledore that Harry was sometimes secluded in his room, it was somewhat disquieting that she hadn't seen anything of him. In fact she hadn't even seen him arrive, not that he couldn't have gotten there before she did. It was hard to judge when Harry would get there from King's Cross Station.

She'd seen the other residents of number 4 Privet Drive but not one hint of Harry Potter. She didn't like it one bit but at this point there wasn't a lot to be done about it, other than report it after her shift was done.

Sighing she tried to find a more comfortable position as she settled into her watch. She just hoped that Mad-Eye was due to relieve her, if he was she'd have him check out the room where Harry was supposed to be staying in with his magical eye.

Even though this wasn't officially Auror business, she found this aspect of the job the most draining. The endless hours on stake out had to be the worst thing that an Auror had to do.

Adjusting her light cloak and recasting the concealment charms on herself she settled in for what looked like was going to be another long boring shift.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Hermione sat in her room contemplating everything that had happened during the end of the year. She cursed the Fates that she had been petrified and missed the events of Harry finding out where the Chamber was and his rescue of Ginny.

He certainly changed his behaviour after that, paying much more attention to Ginny than before. She just couldn't decide if it was just because he had saved her or if something more was involved.

The more Hermione thought about it the more she was certain that something more was up than just Harry paying more attention to Ginny because he had saved her. What that could be she had no idea and she cursed the fact that she didn't have access to Hogwarts' Library over the summer.

The muggle world had libraries virtually everywhere, but as far as she knew there wasn't anything like that in the Magical world.

Sighing in frustration, she made she that the books she had unpacked the previous day were in the correct order. Well if she couldn't research about what was happening with her friends she figured she'd revise last year's text books just for something to do.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Molly called Ron in from out back and told him to wait in the parlour. He looked at her with a frown but did as he was told. Anything was better than being out back alone in the hot sun, degnoming the garden, as far as he was concerned.

Molly went and made some lemonade while waiting for the Twins to make their way back down. She was dreading this talk with the boys because she really had scant information to give them.

Ron's attitude continued to worry her. He and Harry had been such good friends and now it seemed Ron was carrying some kind of grudge against Harry. That and the way he was treating Ginny, someone who he had been very close to growing up, just didn't add up as far as she was concerned.

Just when she was finishing up the pitcher of lemonade, she heard the Twins making their descent from their room. Steeling herself, she placed the pitcher and some glasses on the tray and headed into the parlour.

She set the tray down on the table between the couch where the Twins were ensconced and the chair where Ron had sat. Ron Immediately reached for the pitcher and poured himself a drink while the Twins looked on expectantly.

"So Mum?" asked George, "What's going on?

"Why are you being so lenient to Ginny and Harry?" continued Fred.

Molly saw Ron sit forward a little, his eyes focusing on her, eager to hear what she had to say.

Sighing, she squared her shoulders and said, "There are extenuating circumstances that make how your father and I have decided to treat them a little differently than we might otherwise."

The Twins looked puzzled, but she noticed that Ron's face took on a darker look.

"I'm sure you all know that something happened to Ginny this past year and while you haven't been told everything, you've been told enough to understand that she has suffered a terrible ordeal that has changed many things." Molly then paused to collect her thoughts.

She noted that the Twins were waiting patiently, but that Ron's scowl continued to deepen.

"One of the outcomes of Harry's rescue of Ginny is, well,. . . They have formed some kind of a Bond," she said hesitantly.

"A Bond?" asked Fred.

"You mean they have become really close?" asked George.

"Well yes, but there is more to it than that," Molly tried to explain.

"What Mum?" inquired Fred.

Molly sighed exasperatedly, "That's what's hard to explain," she said. "We're still trying to determine what all the implications are."

"What did Dumbledore say?" Ron asked.

Molly had expected that question from one of them, "Very little, we're still waiting to hear what is going on," she said vaguely.

"Typical Dumbledore," said George with a smile.

"So what do we do in the mean time? asked Fred.

"Yeah?" Ron said a little forcefully.

"We let them be for now. Please don't pressure them in any way trying to find out what happened down in the Chamber, it may just make everything worse.

Molly was happy that the Twins seemed very receptive to what she had told them, but Ron still had a look on his face that she didn't like.

"Fred, George, why don't you two go clean out the chicken coop," Molly said to her twin trouble makers.

"OK Mum," Fred replied.

"Can we play some Quidditch this afternoon?" George added.

"If the coop is cleaned thoroughly, I think that will be an acceptable reward for a job well done," Molly replied with a smile.

"OK," the Twins said as they got up and headed out.

"Is that all Mum?" Ron asked, as he stood up also.

"Not quite Ronald," Molly said a bit sternly.

"Your father and I have noticed that you seem a bit upset with your sister and best friend," his mother said with a frown.

"What we can't understand is why you persist with that attitude," she added as she looked at Ron appraisingly.

"Tell me why are you harbouring such thought's about them?" she pressed.

Ron looked very uncomfortable but refused to meet his Mum's eyes and he remained quiet.

"You really need to understand that what Harry and Ginny experienced together has changed them. In some ways they are no longer children, just how much they have changed, is something that we still have to work out.

"Please just remember that we love you Ron and only want what is best for you along with Harry and Ginny," she said with a slight pleading tone to her voice.

Ron nodded dully, still refusing to meet his mother's eyes. "Can I go now?" he asked sullenly.

"Yes Ron, return to de-gnoming the garden," Molly said sadly. She hoped that she had given her youngest son some things to think about and that he'd eventually come around. If not, well they'd just have to handle that when it happened.

She watched him leave as she returned to the kitchen and with a flick of her wand, started the dishes cleaning while she took what laundry she had and went to start it too.

**XX HP + GW XX**

**A/N: Well they are at the Burrow and Ginny and Harry seem to be getting along really well. The Twins seem very receptive as do Molly and Arthur. Only Ron continues to have a problem with the events that have transpired so far.**

**As always, please review.**

**Thanks, we now return you to your regularly scheduled program.**


	5. Are We Having Fun Yet?

**Harry and Ginny: A Love Story**

**Chapter 5: Are We Having Fun Yet? **

Harry and Ginny awoke slowly, both glowing with the feeling of contentment they felt, waking up in the others arms. Harry found himself staring into Ginny's luscious deep chocolate eyes and couldn't help but smile.

Ginny was feeling the same things Harry was, she couldn't remember ever feeling so wonderful upon waking. There was just something special about waking up being held by Harry.

Without even thinking about it, both found themselves leaning towards the other until their lips met, in another soft kiss. It was actually quite chaste but to the two who were sharing it, they found it quite overwhelming.

Harry felt Ginny shiver a little as their lips parted and he asked _"Are you OK?"_

"_I'm fine Harry. I just found that a bit much. I mean I never thought I'd be kissing a boy until I was older, but with you it just seems right,"_ Ginny said bashfully, as a light blush crept up her neck and into her face.

Harry swallowed visibly, "_Yeah, I know what you mean, it feels so right doing it with you but I can't see me doing something like that with anyone else, ever."_

Ginny hugged Harry tightly, _"Me neither,"_ she replied, her smile lighting up her face with her feelings.

Harry looked at the clock, they had been napping for a relatively short time, a little over an hour. He grinned sheepishly at Ginny, "We were supposed to get your clothes from your trunk and get them to your Mum too."

With one last quick squeeze, Ginny crawled over Harry, much to his delight, "_Hey, what do you think you're doing?" _he asked playfully.

"_I'm getting up," _she replied with a smile.

"_Did you have to go over me?"_

Ginny giggled, _"It was the shortest route."_

Harry rolled his eyes and with a grin sent _"You could have asked me to get up first."_

"_That wouldn't have been as much fun," _Ginny said with another giggle. She then extended her hands to Harry and helped pull him to his feet.

As they went to leave the room it dawned on them that the door was now closed when before the fell asleep, it had been open.

Harry looked at Ginny questioningly, his face showing his worried feelings clearly.

"Don't worry Harry," Ginny said. "Only Mum would have done that and if she would've had a problem with it she would have let us know immediately."

She saw Harry relax somewhat, but she knew he wouldn't feel totally at ease till he saw her Mum in person. Keeping a hold of his one hand she led him to the door and then over into her room so that they could sort out her trunk too.

Harry stopped just inside the door and looked around at Ginny's room, it was decorated differently that he would have thought for a young girls. There was no pink and there were several posters of Quidditch Players and when Harry looked at them closer he saw they were for the all female team, the Holyhead Harpies.

Harry found himself smiling at the posters, he liked the fact that Ginny wasn't what he expected a "normal" girl to be. She was so much more and he thought she was just about perfect.

Ginny looked at him with a questioning smile, "What is it Harry?" she asked, getting his feelings of approval and the joy that somehow generated.

Harry blushed as he met her eyes, "_I was looking at your Quidditch Posters and was thinking how different you are to what I have been brought up to think a girl would be."_

Because of his feeling of approval, Ginny knew he considered it a good thing. She smiled at him and said "_Well I have grown up with six brothers."_

"_Yeah, but I'm surprised because of that your Mum didn't try to make you a girly-girl, ya know?_

Ginny patted the floor next to her as she opened her trunk, "_I think she tried for a little bit after I was born because I've seen some pictures of me as a baby where I am in pink, but with seven kids, I think she found it impossible to keep up with that. I wore a lot of hand-me-downs when I was younger."_

Ginny felt Harry's mood change and a sense of melancholy come over him as he knelt down next to her. She gently placed her hand on Harry's arm, "_What is it Harry?" _she asked, her thoughts full of her concern.

Harry fleeting thought of trying to brush off her question but realized right away that he couldn't bring himself to lie to Ginny. "_That's all I've ever had. I was forced to wear my fat cousin's old clothes. Everything was always ten sizes too big. I've never had anything new till Hagrid took me to Diagon Alley to get my school stuff," _Harry said, his thoughts filled with his sadness.

Ginny took Harry into a big hug, "Well I can't promise you that you'll get a lot of brand new clothes, but I'm sure any of the hand-me-downs you get here will fit allot better."

Harry couldn't help but smile as he felt Ginny's positive feelings fill him and he knew that he'd be happy to wear anything that he got handed down to him here.

Feeling Harry's improved attitude, Ginny turned to her trunk and opened it up. Harry was shocked to see how neatly it was packed, never figuring Ginny to be as organized as Hermione seemed to be. Especially after seeing Ron's trunk the past two years.

Ginny could sense Harry's amazement and could figure out why he was feeling the way he was, knowing her brother the way she did. She couldn't help but laugh, "Not all of us Weasley's are like Ron. Believe it or not the Twins' trunks look like mine, they may have chaotic minds but to do the things they do, they need to be organized."

Harry could see where that would be the case, he'd seen the Twins pull off some elaborate pranks that took some really complex planning, not something that could be done by someone who was disorganized.

"Well enough of that, let's get back to my trunk," Ginny said with a smile. Because her trunk was so organized Harry was surprised by the amount of stuff she had in it. He was sure that she had half again as much in hers than he had managed to cram into his.

The pile of clothes was pretty large and when Ginny tried to carry them all she could barely hold it all and she couldn't see where she was going. Harry had to laugh, "Here, let me help you with that," he said with a smile.

Ginny's first inclination was to refuse the help because growing up her brothers had teased her mercilessly about being so small, but she felt Harry's genuine concern and willingness to help so she dropped the pile back on the bed and they divided it into two equal piles.

As Harry picked up his pile, a pair of Ginny's knickers fell out and as he looked at them, he felt Ginny's embarrassment and he saw her blush. She quickly snatched them up from the floor and stuck them inside her pile. As her eyes met his, he found himself blushing just as much as she was.

After a couple of embarrassed glances back and forth, they both carried their piles down to the kitchen and into the laundry room.

**XX HP + GW XX**

After Molly had talked to her sons, she went back to the laundry. As she began to sort out the things that Harry had brought down she became quite confused. Everything was way to big to fit him. She held up a tee-shirt and was boggled by the size.

While looking at it, Fred and George came up behind her, "Hey Mum, whose circus tent do you have?" George asked with a smile.

"Yeah Mum, I didn't know we had a whale staying with us?" Fred added.

Molly shot them a disproving look as she pick up and looked at several more of Harry's things. Everything was way oversized for him and most were in very poor shape. She could see where Harry had rolled up pant legs and sleeves to be able to wear the monstrously too large pieces of clothing.

"Really Mum, where did this stuff come from?" asked George.

"They're Harry's" Molly said darkly, knowing full well what it meant. Harry had been wearing the hand-me-down cast-offs from his exceeding large cousin. She felt her blood boiling and the Twins noticed the signs of an pending explosion from her and they knew that they didn't want to be in the vicinity when it happened because once she got started anyone close by was fair game.

"Right," said George.

"We'll just get back to cleaning the chicken coop," Fred added as they both hurriedly made their retreat.

Molly took several deep calming breaths, knowing that getting mad would help no one and she certainly didn't want to make Harry feel that he was in any way responsible for the state of his current wardrobe. She had just gotten a load of wash started when Ginny and Harry arrived with Ginny's laundry.

Once they had added her things to the piles in the laundry room, Molly had them join her in the kitchen. Knowing she probably needed to act carefully, she looked at Harry kindly and said, "Harry, I'd like to talk to you about your wardrobe."

When she saw his stiffen and looked embarrassed she smiled and said, "It looks like it's rather limited and I thought you might like to add some things to it. That is if you don't mind wearing some of the older boys things that they've out grown."

Ginny felt Harry relax and she silently thanked her Mum for her delicate handling of the subject of Harry's clothes.

"That would be fine, Mrs. Weasley," Harry said softly, his face colouring slightly.

Paying his reaction no mind, she smiled and said, "You know you don't need to be so formal with me any more Harry, you are going to be living here when you're not at school."

"What should I call you?" Harry asked, his mind in turmoil.

"Well you can call me Molly and Mr. Weasley, Arthur. Would that be OK with you?" she asked.

Harry glanced at Ginny and she smiled in return, "_I think that would work for now, don't you?" _she asked.

"_Yeah, I think that I can do that. I'm not sure I'm ready to call them Mum and Dad yet and I don't know if ever will," _he sent back.

Harry then looked at Molly, "OK, Molly, I'll try it for a while."

"Good, now let's go and see about some decent clothes for you," she said with a smile.

She led Harry out of the laundry and headed up the stairs, Ginny followed behind, if for nothing more than to lend Harry morale support.

They ended up in the attic, where Molly went through several piles of boxes, picking out several that she had Harry and Ginny help her carry back down to Harry's room.

They spent the next hour going through the boxes and picking out things that Harry could wear. Most things fit very well and a few pairs of jeans would work out once they were shortened.

Harry couldn't believe the amount of things he was given and everything fit so much better than anything he had ever had before.

Ginny could feel Harry's emotions as he looked at all the clothes that he was being given, she saw the tears start to build up in his eyes so she went to him quickly and wrapped her arms around him.

"_It's OK, Harry,_" she sent to him.

"_I know Ginny, it's just that I've never been given so many things like this. No one has ever cared for me like this before," _he sent to her as the happiness filled him.

Harry let go of Ginny and turned to Molly, and he once again threw himself at her, wrapping his arms around her tightly as his tears started to fall, he whispered emotionally, "Thanks Molly."

Molly patted him on his back gently, "You're very welcome Harry. Anything we have, we share. It's part of being a member of the family."

Harry squeezed her tighter and then suddenly ran out of the room and up to the loo, shutting the door wanting to try to get his emotions under control.

Molly's initial reaction was to go after him to find out what was happening but Ginny stopped her, "It's OK Mum, he just needs some time to get himself back together," she said softly.

Molly saw a quizzical look come on Ginny's face, "What is it?" she asked.

Ginny smiled sadly, "He just said he guesses he never really had a family before, at least since his Mum and Dad died."

Molly felt her heart squeezed tight, feeling that she was glad that he had come to them so he could learn what a loving family was, but sad because of the life he had lived up to now.

As she dabbed her eyes with her handkerchief, Ginny came over and hugged her tight. "We'll just have to take good care of him, won't we?" Ginny said.

"Yes we will," Molly replied.

Shortly afterwards Harry came back into the room, looking rather sheepish about his leaving. Molly acted like nothing had happened and Ginny smiled at him, saying _"Everything is fine Harry, there is no need to feel embarrassed."_

"_Thanks Ginny,"_ he sent back, giving her a wan smile.

She went over to him and gave him another hug, holding him tightly for several moments. She heard him breath in and she knew he was taking in the fragrance of her hair, learning that was one of the things that seemed to calm him the fastest.

Molly waited for them to separate, keeping herself busy by sorting through the clothes they had picked out. She pulled her wand and banished the boxes back to the attic, drawing a questioning look from Harry.

"How come you didn't use magic to call them down?" he asked, curious about how things were done magically.

"Well, it's much easier to just send the boxes back to a specific place than call the right boxes. It's been so long since I've gone through most of them I didn't know exactly which ones we'd need and I certainly didn't want all of them down here," Molly explained patiently.

"That makes sense," Harry replied nodding his head thoughtfully.

Molly looked at Harry and said, "Well we've made a good start on your wardrobe but we'll still need to get you some underthings, socks and tee shirts." Then more to herself she added "I'll have to talk with Arthur about where we'll have to save on something else to afford it."

Harry looked shocked, never once thinking about how much staying there was going to cost the Weasley's. "Excuse me Molly," Harry said hesitantly. "I have money to cover that."

"Harry, it isn't up to you to have to pay your way around here. Arthur, Minerva and I are responsible for your upbringing," Molly said kindly.

"But I have loads of money in Gringott's," Harry said, a little testily.

Molly looked at him and asked, "Then why are you stuck with your cousins old things?"

"Well I never knew about the money till Hagrid took me to buy my things for Hogwarts and my Aunt and Uncle would have never allowed me to have anything better than Dudley," Harry replied, looking down at the floor.

Molly took a deep breath, thinking hard. "Well let me talk to Minerva and Arthur, OK?"

"OK, but I won't be a burden," Harry stated uncatagorically.

Molly nodded and could see how adamant Harry was and she knew she'd have to take care in the future with handling things.

"Alright, lets get these things down to the laundry and then have some lunch," Molly said brightly.

They each picked up a pile of clothing and they carried it down to add to the laundry. Molly sent Harry to get the Twins while Ginny was sent to get Ron from the back garden.

As they all entered the kitchen, Percy came walking in from up the lane. "Hello Mother," he said rather formally. "I'm pretty sure I got the summer internship at the Ministry," he added kind of smugly.

Harry saw Molly take a breath as if to calm herself, "That's nice, Percy," she said, though to Harry it seemed a bit forced.

"_Ginny, what's up with Percy and his internship?" _he asked.

"_Well he pointedly informed Mum and Dad that he didn't want to work in Dad's department, saying it wasn't a good place to be if one expected to get a good position once he graduated," _Ginny sent a little hotly. "_I think he's being a great big prat!"_ she added.

Harry had to stifle a chuckle at Ginny's assessment of her older brother.

Molly served them a wonderful lunch, far exceeding Hogwarts in Harry's opinion, though Ron looked a little disgruntled that he could only have seconds.

"Hey Mum, what about playing Quidditch like we asked earlier?" Fred asked.

"How's the chicken coop?" she asked pointedly.

"Any chicken would be proud to call it theirs," added George, smiling widely.

"We'll see," said Molly.

"Can I play too?" asked Ron.

"That depends on how well you did in the garden," Molly said sternly.

By Ron's reaction, Harry knew right away he'd been slacking off and probably had done little or nothing to de-gome the garden. Shaking his head, he couldn't understand his attitude. By now at his relatives he would have been required to do six or seven things if he expected to have even the meagrest of lunches.

Once the table was cleared Molly trooped outside with her sons to inspect their work. Harry and Ginny followed just to get outside for a while.

Molly went right to the chicken coop and eying the Twins with arched brow, she opened the door to the coop. She looked around and the Twins were happy when they saw a smile form on her face.

"Well done boys, I knew you had it in you. I guess all it takes is the proper motivation," she said, quite pleased with the job they had done.

As Fred and George went to get their brooms, Molly led Ron towards the back garden. Harry and Ginny could see Ron tailing further and further behind, obviously not wanting to be too close to his Mum when they got there.

Molly took on quick glance around and you could see the anger rising on her face. "Ronald Weasley, just what have you been doing out here all morning?" she asked, her anger making her voice rise in volume.

Everywhere you looked Gnomes were peeking out of bushes and from behind the bunches of flowers.

"You're to stay here until you do a good job, and I mean it. If I catch you slacking off, you'll really be in for it!" Molly said forcefully.

Fred and George looked on in disgust. "Well one short for Quidditch," Fred muttered.

"Hey Percy,"George called out. "Want to play some Quidditch?"

Percy frowned at his brother. "I'm past that, I think it's much more important that I get ready to start my internship. After all I was up and out before any of you lay-abouts were even up"

"But you don't even know if you got it yet!" Fred said incredulously.

"One can not be too prepared," Percy replied, raising his nose and stalking off into the house.

"Great!" moaned Fred, "Now who can we get?"

"Well if it's OK with Molly, I'll play," said Harry, looking expectantly at her.

Molly smiled, "Of course it's OK Harry. Go ahead and have some fun."

Harry noticed Ron giving him an evil look as he grabbed a gnome and tossed it over the wall.

"That still leaves us one short," complained George.

"_They never ask me to play,"_ Ginny said hotly.

"Why don't we ask Ginny to play?" Harry asked, puzzled by the Twins exclusion of their sister.

"She's never even flown before," said Fred.

"_Ha! That's what they know," _Ginny sent, once again letting her displeasure come through. "_I've been sneaking out and flying their brooms since I was six!"_

Harry smiled, _"Leave it to me Ginny,"_ he sent with a smirk.

"Maybe she's a natural like I was," Harry said, acting innocently.

Fred and George looked at each other for a moment and then just shrugged. "Well we guess it can't hurt to give her a try," they said.

Ginny's face lit up, they were actually going to let her play. "_Thanks Harry," _she sent ecstatically.

Harry went and got his Nimbus 2000 while Ginny went and got Charlie's old broom. The Twins led the way to the paddock where the Weasleys played Quidditch while at home.

"OK, let's see what you can do?" George said rather patronizingly.

Ginny's eyes narrowed and she glared at her brother. _"Just watch this Harry!" _she sent as she pushed off hard.

Harry couldn't help but smile, Ginny flew superbly, doing a couple of rolls and loops before her awe struck brothers.

""Yup, a natural," Harry said with a smirk.

"What are you waiting for?" Ginny shouted as she swooped down and flashed across just above their heads.

Harry smiled and jumped on his Nimbus and took off after Ginny. She was laughing as she looked back over her shoulder watching Harry come after her.

"_Think you can catch me?" _she sent playfully.

"_You just wait Weasley,"_ Harry sent back.

The Twins stood there with open mouths as Harry and Ginny did an aerial ballet that was breath taking in it's excitement and complexity.

Ginny really was a superb flyer, but then again so was Harry and his superior broom slowly made the difference. He reeled her in and was finally able to tap her on the head.

Ginny laughed, her elation shining out of her. "_Oh Godric Harry, that was so much fun! I never dreamed that flying could be like that."_

"_You are a natural, and I've never flown against anyone better," _Harry replied as they slowed down. Harry came along side of Ginny and took her into a hug.

She blushed sheepishly as she glanced at her brothers who were still earthbound staring at them.

Harry let his eyes follow hers and with a huge grin shouted "Are we going to play Quidditch or what?"

Fred and George were finally broken out of their stupor and both mounted their brooms and came up to the pair of youngsters.

"Ginny, that was fabulous!" George cried.

"I guess the Weasley blood must carry a Quidditch gene," said Fred.

"What do you want the teams to be?" George asked.

Harry winked at Ginny, "How about Ginny and I against you two?" he asked slyly.

The Twins smiled predatorially, thinking their experience and Twin sense would give them an unchallenged advantage.

"If that's what you want?" George said condescendingly.

"OK, but we get the Quaffle first," said Ginny, smiling at Harry as she did so.

"Fine," said Fred, "but don't come crying to us when we beat you."

Harry just smiled back, "OK, but that goes both ways."

Fred eyed Harry worriedly, wondering how Harry and Ginny could seem so confident.

Harry and Ginny retreated to their end of the makeshift pitch. "They aren't going to know what hit them," Harry said to Ginny.

They started playing and the superiority of Harry and Ginny's Bond was apparent from the outset. The Twins instinctual connection being no match for Harry's and Ginny's ability to speak to each other without being overheard and the Bonds ability to let them know precisely where the other was at all times.

Though the Twins fought valiantly, in the end it was no contest. As the afternoon waned and the Twins began to tire they finally called a halt.

They all landed, Harry and Ginny exuberant with their performance. They immediately hugged and then turned and grinned at the Twins.

George looked at Fred, "I think we've been had."

Fred couldn't help but smile at his brother, "I think you're right oh brother of mine." And then turning to Harry and Ginny said "Do you two want to explain what happened this afternoon?"

Harry looked at Ginny "_Do you want to?"_

Ginny gave him a grin, "_Yeah, why not. Of all my brothers I think the Twins would understand the best."_

As Harry and Ginny discussed it mind to mind, the Twins watched them carefully. They could tell something was up but they had no idea just what.

"_Go ahead and tell them," _Harry sent to Ginny.

Ginny turned to her brothers, "Well you see, Harry and I have some kind of Bond."

"Yeah Mum told us something about it," George said.

"The thing is we can talk to each other without actually speaking out loud," Ginny said with an impish grin.

Fred and George stared at each other for a moment, their faces alight with surprise and then suddenly they both began to grin from ear to ear.

"Think of the possibilities," said Fred.

"Think of the pranks," said George.

"Fantastic!" they both cried, looking at Harry and Ginny.

"How would you two like to help us with pulling pranks next year?" asked George.

"We'd teach you everything we know," said Fred.

They both stared at Harry and Ginny eagerly.

"_What do you say?" _Ginny asked.

"_Sounds like fun," _Harry replied.

They looked at the Twins, "Deal!" they both said.

"Great,"George said.

"We can begin by practicing on Percy all summer," said Fred with an devilish gleam in his eye.

They all began to head back to the Burrow, laughing and joking about the game, the pranks they'd pull and just having a great time being together.

Ginny felt Harry's joy at being included in with some other members of the Weasley family.

Harry instinctively wrapped an arm around Ginny's shoulders and she slipped her arm around his waist. They both grinned at each other feeling the other's happiness through their Bond.

Unseen by the Quidditch players, Ron was eying Harry and Ginny. He was seething at being stuck working while they had played Quidditch with the twins. First Harry had stolen his sister, then his Mother and now his brothers were falling under his sway.

Ron felt like he would explode and with an effort spawned by his anger, he sent a gnome farther than he had ever done before.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Nymphadora Tonks arrived for her shift to keep eye on Harry Potter and relieve the person who had been keeping tabs that morning.

Hestia Jones smiled at her and told her that it had been very quiet and there had been no sign of Harry. She had only seen the Uncle when he left for work and the Aunt when she came out to retrieve the milk that had been delivered that morning.

Tonks nodded that she had heard, but she was frowning because something didn't seem right. She settled in for her watch, wondering why Harry hadn't been see at all.

As the day wore on she saw plenty of activity in the neighbourhood. The lady next door came out and walked her dog. Another woman came down the pavement, pushing a pram. Several kids came down the street, looking like they were headed to the little park further down the street.

All in all, rather mundane events and nothing out of the ordinary for the area. Tonks was getting rather bored but she still had the feeling that everything wasn't as it seemed.

She was just about to go stir crazy when there was the first signs of activity at number 4 Privet Drive. She heard someone shouting around the side of the house and then the Aunt appeared with Harry's whale of a cousin.

The kid, Dumbly, or something like that, was complaining loudly about having to mow the lawn but what really got her attention was when he said he didn't understand why they had gotten rid of Harry.

Nymphadora's heart froze in her chest, hoping that it didn't mean anything nefarious had happened to him. She did calm a bit when the Aunt yelled at her son that they were well rid of him and the freaks who took him deserved him and all the trouble that he was.

Tonks knew that her instincts had been correct and Harry was no longer at Privet Drive. With no reason to remain, she Apparated away. She had to get to Hogwarts and let it be known that Harry was missing.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Minerva McGonagall was just leaving the Great Hall where she had been in a meeting with the elves that were in charge of the kitchen. As Deputy Headmistress one of her duties was to make sure that everything was running smoothly and she had just had the end of year meeting.

She was surprised when Nymphadora Tonks arrived, hurrying in with a very concerned look on her face.

"What is the matter Auror Tonks," Minerva asked.

"Where is Albus?" she asked, her voice full of concern.

"I'm sorry but he's away from the school at the moment," Minerva said. "Is there something I can help you with?"

Tonks was torn about what to do. She assumed that Minerva would be included with keeping track of Harry, "Well it has to do with Harry Potter," she said lowly.

Minerva raised an eyebrow, and looked around to see if anyone had overheard. Making a quick decision she said "Come with me," and led Tonks up to her office.

Ushering the young Auror into her office, she shut the door. "Please be seated," she said with her usual stoic manner.

She looked at Tonks appraisingly, wondering how much the young woman really knew. Steeling herself, she asked, "Now what is this about Harry?"

Tonks took note of Minerva's use of Harry's first name, but didn't think it totally odd as she was his head of house. "I'm fairly certain that Harry is no longer at his relatives in Surrey," she said bluntly.

Minerva took the news stoically, her reputation for being unflappable was well earned. "What leads you to that conclusion?" she asked succinctly.

"I overheard the Aunt and his cousin talking and the boy wanted to know why they had gotten rid of Harry. The Aunt implied that someone magical had taken him away," Tonks explained.

"You're sure of this information?" Minerva asked.

"Yes Professor," Tonks answered.

"Please, you're no longer my student. You can call me Minerva," McGonagall said pleasantly.

Tonks blushed slightly, She had only been out of Hogwarts for several years and still had a hard time treating her old teachers as equals. "OK, Minerva," she said uncomfortably.

Minerva chuckled at the young woman's unease. She remembered back to when she had first been told the same thing many years ago and suffered the same effects.

Bringing her mind back to the issue at hand she came to a uneasy conclusion. "Thank you for bringing this to my attention, I'll take care of it, you have my word on it," she said with a touch of sadness.

Tonks felt her unease but didn't attach any significance to it.

Minerva rose and went to the door, opening it to allow Tonks to exit. As Tonks stepped by she heard Minerva whisper, "Forgive me Nymphadora."

As she turned with a questioning look on her face, she was surprised to see Minerva's wand right in front of her eyes. "Wha. . . " she got out before she heard the elderly witch say "Obliviate."

**XX HP + GW XX**

**A/N: Poor Tonks, Lucky Minerva. At least Harry is having some fun.**

**As always please review.**


	6. Growing Together

**Harry and Ginny: A Love Story**

**Chapter 6: Growing together **

The four Quidditch players had just arrived back into the house when Molly came up to Harry and said "Would it be OK if I borrowed Hedwig to send a message to Minerva?"

Harry smiled at Molly, "I'm sure she'll be glad to have something to do."

"Thank you Harry, I'll just dash off the note and then Hedwig can take it as soon as she's able," Molly replied, her smile matching Harry's.

"I'm pretty sure she's still out hunting, but I'll check, I want to put my broom away anyway," he said, as he went to the stairs.

Harry put his broom in his room, glancing at Hedwig's perch as he did so. Just as he expected she was still out somewhere. He couldn't help but smile, knowing that Hedwig was off flying free somewhere instead of being locked up in her cage for most of the summer.

"_Ginny, let your Mum know that Hedwig is still out somewhere,"_ Harry sent.

"_Will do Harry,"_ Ginny replied. _"What are you up to?"_

"_Well if you must know, I need to use the loo," _Harry sent back with a grin. He found it strange that he and Ginny seemed to "feel" things like grins and smiles even though they weren't really emotions or thoughts.

Taking care of business, he made his way back down to the kitchen where he found Ginny helping her Mum prepare dinner.

"Molly,may I please have something to drink?" Harry asked, his voice small and soft, as if he was doing something wrong.

Molly heard the tone of his voice and once again she could tell it was something that Harry seemed loathed to do.

"Harry, dear, you can always have something to drink if you're thirsty, you don't need to ask," she said kindly, making sure she gave him an encouraging smile as she did so.

"Thank you," he replied bashfully as he went and poured himself some juice.

He then sat down and watched Molly and Ginny working together preparing dinner. He couldn't help but smile at the fun time they seemed to be having, as opposed to the drudgery that his Aunt had made making a meal seem.

She had finally forced Harry to prepare most meals, especially breakfast and lunch, not really trusting him to make dinner without sneaking some for himself. Not that Harry ever had, the consequences of being caught being so severe that he didn't wish to chance it.

Ginny felt Harry's longing and she turned and smiled at him. "Would you like to help?" she asked.

Harry broke out into a huge smile, "I'd love to," he replied.

Ginny motioned for Harry to join her at the sink where she was peeling potatoes. Molly watched carefully and was impressed with Harry's skill with the knife Ginny handed him. He deftly peeled the potatoes, actually doing more than Ginny managed.

"Harry, you are pretty good at that," Molly said in praise.

Harry found himself blushing, "Well I've had plenty of practice," he replied.

Ginny felt his unease at answering her Mum. "_What is it, Harry?"_ she asked, concerned for what she was feeling.

"_I was made to cook most of the meals since I was pretty young and I use to get punished if I did anything wrong,"_ he replied to her.

Ginny looked at him in disbelief and Molly noticed her look at Harry. "What is it Ginny?" she asked.

"_Please don't tell,"_ Harry said, dropping his gaze to the floor.

"_She needs to know Harry," _Ginny sent back, her inflection letting him know that she would not take no for an answer.

"_Really?" _Harry asked, fearfully.

"_It will be OK, Harry,"_ Ginny sent compassionately.

"_OK,_" Harry finally sent back to Ginny, his head hanging down.

Molly watched the two youngsters carefully and she knew they seemed to be having some kind of disagreement. She could see Harry's apprehension and finally his acquiescence to Ginny.

She saw Ginny take a deep breath, calming herself, "Harry was made to help in the kitchen since he was young and if he did anything wrong his Aunt or Uncle would punish him. That and they hardly let him eat any of what he was forced to prepare for his relatives, sometimes having to go without eating for days at a time."

Molly was doubly shocked. She had known that his Aunt had treated him poorly, but this was the first she had heard of him being starved on a consistent basis.

"Harry, you know you don't have to help if you don't want to," Molly said kindly.

She saw his eyes tear up a little," But I want to help here," he said emphatically. "I want to be a part of this family and everyone here seems to help out, so I want to too."

"Trust me Harry, with eight people living here, there will always be plenty to do. I'm not sure how chores were divided up were you lived before, but here everyone does their fair share," Molly said with a smile.

"OK," Harry said, a bit defiantly, "but I won't be a burden."

Molly noted to herself, this was the second time Harry had said something along those lines. Shaking her head, she could only imagine the life he had before he had come to live with them.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Minerva McGonagall sat down in her office, trying to assess her situation unimpassionately. She could pack up and leave Hogwarts a couple of days early but that would tip her hand to Albus immediately. Of course waiting had it's down sides too.

She wondered how long it would take for Albus to find out that Auror Tonks' memory had been modified and then to find out who had done so.

Minerva sipped her tea, knowing she wouldn't run. She hadn't ever before and she sure wasn't going to start now. Satisfied that she had made her decision all she had to do now was plan out the next several days.

She knew she had been very fortunate that Albus was away and that she had fortuitously been the one who had been there to meet Tonks. To her it just proved that Fate was on her side in wanting to keep Harry safe, even from his relatives.

She really did feel bad about having to Obliviate the young Auror but she couldn't take a chance right at this moment. She hoped that in the future that maybe Tonks would make a good ally. She knew they were going to need them in the future and not just against Albus Dumbledore. Harry's fate still had to be met and fulfilled for better or worse.

Minerva was just having her second cup of tea and another biscuit when she heard a tapping at her window. Getting up and making her way to the window, she was surprised to see Harry's owl, Hedwig.

Hoping nothing was amiss, she hurriedly opened the window and let the beautiful Snowy Owl in.

"What do you have there for me?" Minerva said softly.

Hedwig dropped the message onto Minerva's desk and hooted appreciatively when the Professor rubbed her neck, gently smoothing her feathers as she tenderly stroked the owl.

Minerva shared a biscuit and gave Hedwig a drink of water from a carafe that she conjured. After butting the Professor's hand affectionately, Hedwig hopped over to the window and flew away.

Minerva watched the majestic flight of the owl as she receded from view. With a sigh, she turned her attention to the note, and noticed that the handwriting was Molly's and not Harry's.

She used her wand to open the magic seal and quickly read the letter.

_**Dear Minerva,**_

_**I'm writing to let you know of several things that have come up concerning our charge. **_

_**His clothes are in deplorable condition, most being eight to ten sizes too big. I have supplemented his wardrobe with some hand-me-downs from my older children and they will be OK for now. The major concern at this time is the pieces of clothing that are not available, tee shirts, underwear and socks.**_

_**Our Charge has been quite adamant about wanting to pay for these things himself. His words on more than one occasion have been "I will not be a burden." **_

_**I have also noted some indications that his previous home life was far from adequate or safe. If not subject to outright abuse, I'm sure he was subject to deliberate neglect.**_

_**I will keep you informed on developments along those lines.**_

_**Now on another subject, the connection between our charge and his "friend" seems to be increasing and it has been fun watching them as they progress.**_

_**Please feel free to stop by any time and let me know your thoughts on dealing with our little problem.**_

_**Sincerely,**_

_**Molly Weasley**_

Minerva set the note down and contemplated everything that she had read. She was also sure that Harry's home life before his change of residence was more troublesome that he had let on.

She also knew they'd have to think carefully about how to handle Harry's stubborn resistance about his wardrobe and who would be paying for it. She had tried to let Molly know that as a single woman with a large ancestral home and a good salary, she would be more than willing to handle most of the financial obligations that Harry would require.

She had hoped that Molly's own stubborn streak would not be a problem and she assumed she would have to broach that topic again.

Looking at the time, she realized she had another end of year meeting to attend and since Albus was away till late this evening, she could get out of it as at least one of them needed to be there.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Tonks found herself back at Privet Drive, watching over number four. She frowned as she thought there was something important concerning what she was doing there but she was interrupted by her relief showing up.

Sighing, she was glad that her shift was at an end and she'd have a chance to have a couple of days off as this had become a most boring assignment. She gave her update to Dedalus Diggle and left for a well earned rest.

She Apparated away to her small flat, changed and made herself dinner. At first she had relished being on her own but lately her solitary existence was becoming more and more unbearable and she wished she had someone to share her life with.

Her schedule made having a normal relationship difficult and more than once a young wizard had made disparaging remarks about her being married to her work or too tired or unavailable for normal dating activities.

She put her dirty dishes in the sink, promising herself that she'd get to the growing pile tomorrow, or the next day at the latest.

Sighing she pulled the comforter off the chair, grabbed her book and curled up on the couch. She had been trying to finish it for more than a month but seemed to be having trouble making any headway.

She tried to focus on the page, but in a short time, she found the words beginning to blur and once again she succumbed to the tiredness that held sway over her. Slowly her eyes drifted shut and the book slid from her hand as she fell asleep on the couch once again.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Albus Dumbledore arrived back at Hogwarts late in the evening. He was very tired from the long days he was suffering through. Not only did he have a full day running Hogwarts but he had all the added work of trying to track down Voldemort and keep his followers at bay.

He made his way back to his office and sat down heavily. Though late he still had several hours of work he wanted to get done before heading off to bed. Taking a deep breath and helping himself to a lemon drop he grabbed the top parchment off the stack sitting on his desk and got to work.

Several tedious hours later, Albus was please with the dent he had made in the stack of parchments that had accumulated on his desk. As he sat there nursing a glass of Ogden's finest he decided to check to see how the wards around Harry were recharging.

Going to a side table, he pulled out one of several small complicated devices and tapped it with his wand. He watched as gears began to turn and a whitish smoke began to pour forth from a small pipe that stuck up from one side.

Albus watched with increasing apprehension, the volume of smoke was quite a bit less than he had anticipated. Though not where he had hoped it to be it was still at an acceptable level but it would warrant further watching. If things did not improve soon, Albus knew he'd need to make a trip to Surrey and check the wards himself.

Sighing, he headed off to bed, adding that task to his seemingly endless list of things that needed to be done. As he settled into his bed and prepared to turn off the light, he mentally added checking with the team of people he had enlisted to keep an eye on Harry.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Harry awoke to the feeling of something tickling his nose, sleepily he waved a hand across his face but it met nothing. He tried to go back to sleep but what ever was tickling his nose returned.

As Harry became more awake, he realized the Ginny was right next to him, the Bond pin-pointing her location. Schooling himself so not to give anything away, he waited for Ginny to tickle him again.

As soon as she did, Harry reached out suddenly with his arm and wrapped it around Ginny's waist, pulling her swiftly into his bed.

He heard Ginny squeal as he grabbed her and she tumbled onto the bed and fell across his body. Popping his eyes open, he was surprised to find Ginny sprawled across his hips, her pretty bum framed by her taunt pjs.

He kept her there with his arm and since he had pulled her in a little, her feet didn't reach the floor any more and he had complete control over her.

Laughing and squealing, Ginny struggled to get away, but her awkward position and Harry's strength kept her firmly in place.

"Harry! Let me go," Ginny squealed, laughing and giggling as she kicked her feet and legs in an attempt to escape.

"Oh, so you don't like it when the shoe is on the other foot, eh?" Harry said with a grin.

Ginny kept struggling and Harry could feel her emotions as he held her. Part of her was embarrassed at her position but another part found it quite exhilarating.

For some inexplicable reason, Harry had the urge to playfully spank the lovely bottom before him. He hoped to teach her a lesson, but in reality he didn't want to hurt her any.

Adjusting his position, Ginny seemed to become aware of what Harry intended.

For a moment, her struggling ceased but then with renewed effort she struggled twice as hard. Harry almost lost his grip on her but then with a sudden move, he had Ginny firmly in his grasp once more.

"_Please Harry!_" Ginny pleaded. _"I promise never to do it again."_

"_I'm sure you won't," _Harry sent with a chuckle.

"_Oh, please Harry," _Ginny begged, trying desperately to free herself.

Ginny suddenly froze again as Harry raised his hand, her eyes widened as she felt Harry's hand begin to descend.

Smack, smack, smack, Harry's hand came down on Ginny's unprotected bottom. He was actually hitting her quite lightly, it was the shock more than anything that surprised Ginny.

Ginny squealed and kicked, making a big fuss, trying to escape Harry's "punishment", though in reality she found the experience quite confusing.

Though she was experiencing some minor discomfort, she was also experiencing something totally different. A warm glow seemed to spread from where Harry's hand was connecting with her and she found the sensation not all that unpleasant. In fact the longer that Harry spanked her, the more the feelings of enjoyment spread through her.

After a good dozen light smacks, Harry paused. "_Learn your lesson?" _he asked.

He was surprised when she didn't answer immediately, and the feelings he got through the Bond were quite confusing. While at one level she wasn't happy that she had been overpowered by Harry, on another level she found her situation quite intriguing. Her bottom didn't hurt per se, in fact if she had to put a feeling to what she was experiencing, she'd have to say it was actually quite exhilarating.

Harry felt Ginny's emotions and he blushed deeply at what he was getting through the Bond. He quickly let go of Ginny as if suddenly she was as hot as glowing iron.

He was very surprised when she just lay there for a moment and he could feel her embarrassment at the situation.

"_I'm sorry,"_ Harry sent shakily, not knowing what had just really taken place.

"_It's OK, Harry," _Ginny sent back. "_I kind of instigated things and they got a little out of control."_

"_Did I hurt you?" _he asked, not trusting what he was feeling from her. He couldn't conceive that she would have actually enjoyed what had just taken place.

Ginny stood and slowly rubbed her bottom, the whole time looking at Harry with a strange look in her eye. She found herself contemplating the warmth of her bottom that had spread and she was feeling things physically she had never experienced before.

"_Ginny?" _Harry asked hesitantly.

Ginny met his eyes for a moment before she dropped her gaze, refusing to meet his searching look. She was blushing deeply, in fact Harry had never seen her blush any more deeply than she was at that moment.

Harry reached out slowly, his hand shaking slightly and took hold of Ginny's arm. She watched his hand closely, following it from start to finish as it came to rest on her, gripping her loosely and then gently pulling her to him.

Harry shifted over on his bed and drew Ginny in next to him. She snuggled into his side, hiding her face in his chest, trying to get her emotions back under control. Never would she have though that she'd find someone smacking her bottom so stimulating.

"Hey," Harry whispered, "Are you OK?"

Ginny just nodded her head, not trusting herself to speak, though she did hug herself tighter to him. Her thoughts were very chaotic, not understanding what she was feeling and she knew it was something she could never bring herself to talk to her mother about.

Harry gently rubbed her back as he tried to calm her. He settled lower in the bed until he was level with her. He wrapped his arms tighter around her and just held her.

Slowly he felt her embarrassment fade as she relaxed into his embrace. "I'm sorry Harry, I promise I won't do that again."

"You did nothing wrong, I'm the one who should apologize," Harry countered. "I don't know what came over me, I should never have done. . . . that to you."

Ginny giggled softly, "The thing is I kind of liked what you did," she said, her blush returning.

Harry felt himself blushing right along with her, he didn't know why exactly, but he knew that he and Ginny had both enjoyed what had happened.

Though they were both blushing, they looked into one another's eyes, leaned slowly towards the other and softly kissed. They felt the warmth and love blossom between them, Ginny just tucked her head against his chest and he tightened his embrace around her.

Harry gently reached up and ran the back of his hand down Ginny's cheek. His mind was a-whirl with his thoughts.

He couldn't understand what was happening, he knew that the things he and Ginny were feeling weren't things normal eleven and twelve year-old's felt. He suspected it had to do with the Bond they were forming, or had formed, he wasn't quite sure which.

He wish that someone would be able to answer their questions about the Bond and what all would happen. He loved the mind to mind connection and now that he had it, he couldn't see how he could live without it.

He realized that since he had rescued Ginny from Tom and the Chamber that his feelings had definitely changed. Before he had saved her, he had never thought about a future, a wife, kids and everything that went with an adult life.

Now, he just knew that he and Ginny would be together. It surprised him because he couldn't tell how that had changed. He knew in his mind that it had to do with what had happened in the Chamber, but in his heart, it felt like he had always felt that way.

Harry let his thoughts drift away from the weighty things he had been contemplating and he turned his attention back to the warm, wonderful, girl that he held in his arms.

He noticed she had fallen back to sleep, as if their actions earlier had drained her and she needed to recover before getting up and starting their day.

Harry found himself smiling and he realized that Ginny's head was just below his on his chest and he was inhaling her amazing fragrance once again. A year ago if someone would have said that the aroma of a girl was the thing he probably liked the best in the whole wide world, he would have called them a nutter.

Now he knew that fact was true and he wouldn't have it any other way. He gently leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on the top of Ginny's head. Harry felt Ginny shift subtly and he felt her happiness through their Bond. He marvelled again at the Bond and how it had changed his life and he knew that he wouldn't change it if he could.

They had been cuddled together for about ten minutes when Harry heard Molly calling them from down stairs. He gently shook Ginny and as she stirred, he softly kissed her one more time and he saw her smile at him, "Your Mum just called us for breakfast," he said softly.

They got up and Harry couldn't help but look at Ginny. He could see her body was just that of a normal eleven year old girl, but he knew that they both didn't feel like kids any more.

Harry felt Ginny's annoyance, "What's wrong?" he asked.

"My dressing gown is in the wash and I'd really hate to have to change before I go down for breakfast, by the time I get there Ron and the Twins will have eaten everything in sight."

Harry just reached for his dressing gown and offered it to Ginny, "Here," he said, holding it so Ginny could put it on.

Ginny smiled shyly, "What are you going to wear?" she asked.

Harry just grabbed a tee shirt and put it on, "I'll be fine with this," he said with a grin.

Together they reached for each other's hands and as the grasped the others they descended out and down the stairs, ready for breakfast and eager to start their day.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Molly sat down watching Ron closely. He was eating his breakfast calmly, though he kept glancing at the stairs as if was waiting for someone. She saw the look on his face change as she heard two people descending and from the sounds they were making she knew it wasn't the twins so it had to be Ginny and Harry.

Molly sighed, she just couldn't understand Ron's continued hostility towards his friend and his sister. She had hoped that by explaining they had a Bond that he would have become more receptive to their being together, but it looked like that hope had been unfounded.

"Ron, would you care for some more to eat?" she asked, hoping to distract him.

"Yeah Mum, that would be great," he replied, as he turned his attention to her.

Molly filled his plate and turned to Ginny and Harry. She was surprised by their subdued manner, though still holding hands, they were definitely acting different than they had been before.

They kept giving each other sly glances and they blushed whenever they did so. Though she did notice that they smiled at each other too, so she wasn't sure what was going on.

She served them breakfast and they ate in seeming silence, though they did spend allot of time staring at one another and she wondered if they were mind speaking. Sighing, she realized that they had entered a realm where few had ever been and well beyond the understanding of most.

"_So Ginny, what should we do today?" _Harry asked.

"_Let's go swimming!" _Ginny sent enthusiastically.

Harry blushed and looked embarrassed.

"_What's wrong Harry?"_ Ginny asked, concerned with what she was feeling from Harry.

"_Well, I, ah you see, I don't know how to swim," _Harry replied, his gaze flitting from Ginny to the floor and back several times.

Ginny got a determined look on her face, _"Well, we'll just have to fix that," _she said with a smile. Ginny turned to her Mum, "Hey Mum, I was wondering if we could go swimming this morning?"

"That sounds like fun, Ginny," Molly replied, not quite understanding what Ginny wanted. "I think you'll have a great time."

"Ah, Mum. I was kind of hoping that you'd come with us," Ginny said slyly. "See Harry doesn't know how to swim and I was hoping that you could help teach him."

Molly's face lit up, "I has been quite a while since I went swimming with you kids. You know that sounds like a good idea. Ron would you like to come too?"

Ron looked at his mother and then to Harry and Ginny. Swimming did sound like a fun thing to do, but it would mean hanging out with Harry and his sister. Deciding he didn't wish to miss out on the fun he replied, "Yeah Mum, that sounds like fun."

Molly smiled at him, hoping that when they all got in the water and began to have a good time, maybe Ron would loosen up around Ginny and Harry.

Since Ron was done eating he headed up to get his suit on and his mother called after him. "Wake up Fred and George, tell them if they want breakfast to get down here soon or they'll have to fend for themselves. Also tell them we're going swimming and if they want to come they'd better hurry."

Ron ran up the stairs to deliver his Mum's message and get ready for the day.

Molly looked thoughtful, "We'll need to find a suit that will fit Harry. I'm sure there is something around from one of the boys that will work just fine."

Harry was still blushing and Molly noticed. "Don't be embarrassed Harry. If you haven't had someone teach you, it's nothing to be ashamed of. We'll fix it up right quick and before you know it you'll be having just as much fun as the others."

Harry smiled, bolstered by Molly's words and the encouraging feeling he was getting from Ginny.

He and Ginny began to eat faster, eager to get done so that they could get ready too, Harry feeding off of Ginny's enthusiasm. He kept looking at her and matching her smile as they finished eating.

They heard a loud noise from the stairway and the Twins came charging into the kitchen. They were smiling and quite boisterous, obviously excited about going swimming too.

"Well, from the sounds of it, I should tell you two we're going swimming every day. I've never seen you come down for breakfast so fast," she said with a laugh.

The Twins unabashedly looked at their mother as they dug into their breakfasts with gusto. "Works for us Mum," they replied together.

As Molly spoke with Fred and George, Ginny headed into the laundry room and returned with two swimsuits. Both were somewhat faded but otherwise in usable condition.

"Here Harry," she said, "Try these on and see which one fits better."

Since they were done breakfast, he and Ginny headed off up to get changed. They exited their rooms at the same time and Harry was taken with Ginny's one piece suit. She was just starting to develop her womanly features and he found he couldn't take his eyes off of her.

Ginny blushed, but continued to smile, "_Stop it, Harry," _she sent.

"_Sorry, Ginny. It's just I've never seen a girl in a swimsuit before and you look really nice in it,"_ he replied shyly.

Ginny looked down at her body, "_It's not like I really have any boobs yet, I'm still pretty girlishly shaped."_

Harry blushed again, "_Yeah but you're starting to develop some," _he said before he thought about it. Realizing what he had said, his hand flew to his mouth covering it, not thinking about the fact that he hadn't spoken out loud.

Ginny blushed slightly but couldn't help but giggle at Harry's reaction. Shaking her head and offering him her hand, they headed down to the kitchen to meet with the others before heading out to the swimming hole down at the small stream that flowed through the back of the Weasley's property.

**XX HP + GW XX**

More by chance than planning they all congregated at the same time and headed out. The Twins and Ron ran ahead, eager to get to the swimming hole first.

Molly, Ginny and Harry followed behind at a more leisurely pace. Harry and Ginny hand in hand while Molly watched them as they walked happily along, giggling and laughing for some reason that Molly had no idea about.

She was just happy that Ginny didn't seem to be suffering any lasting effects from her experiences this past school year. If anything she seemed happier than she had ever seen her daughter.

By the time they arrived, Ron and the Twins were already in the water, splashing and trying to dunk one another.

Harry nervously kicked off his trainers and laid his glasses down with his towel. He was gratified when Molly and Ginny took him a little up stream from the deep part where the boys were. They waded in till harry was about chest deep, with Molly and Ginny quite close to him.

Ginny smiled encouragingly at him and he began to relax a little. Molly began to speak to him and started having him learn to float on his back, get comfortable floating face down and just all in all getting comfortable in the water.

At first Harry found it a little intimidating but with gentle instruction from Molly, who was ready with a helping hand when needed, and encouragement from Ginny he soon found himself getting the basics down.

He soon graduated to pushing off, reaching out with his hands and kicking his feet and legs hard, propelling himself through the water. He found his confidence growing with each passing minute and it wasn't that long till he found himself learning to use his arms and finally learning to breath properly as he swam along.

It was close to lunch time by the time he had really gotten it. He had swum across the end of the swimming hole to Ginny on the far side and when he reached her he couldn't help but smile widely at the progress he had made.

Ginny was ecstatic at how fast he had caught on and she couldn't help but hug him tightly when he reached her.

Molly left them, with Harry continue to practice while she went and packed a quick picnic lunch for the six of them. By the time she returned, Harry was swimming quite well and he and Ginny had swum several short races back and forth across the swimming hole.

It was with a huge grin that he exited the water with Ginny to eat lunch. Ginny could feel his happiness radiating off of him as they sat on a blanket and they shared their lunch.

After they were done eating and everyone was getting ready to go back in the water, Harry went over to Mrs Weasley and hugged her tightly.

"Thank you Molly," he said emotionally. "I can't begin to tell you how much it means to me that you would take the time to teach me to swim."

Molly returned his hug, tears forming in her eyes as she realized just how poorly he had been treated before he had come to live at the Burrow.

"You're welcome, Harry," she whispered to him as she returned his hug. She saw Ginny's eyes glistening too, as she shared Harry's feelings of elation, feeling more and more like the member of a true family and that filled him with happiness and wonder.

Ron and the Twins had returned to swimming as Harry had thanked Molly and the Twins had ganged up on Ron, dunking and splashing him unmercifully. As he got away for a minute, he turned without thinking, "Ginny!" he called out. "I'm getting murdered here, how about coming and helping?" just as he had in the past.

Ginny shot him a look, but then shrugged, looking at Harry and sending "_How about it Harry?"_

Harry smiled at her and taking her hand they ran down and off the short dock, jumping into the water and dousing the Twins with their combined splashes.

Sputtering as they surfaced, the Twins looked at them in shock. "This means war!" they shouted and before you knew it all five kids were involved in a massive splashing and dunking fight.

Everyone was laughing and giggling, having a great time. Molly sat on the edge of the dock, her feet dangling in the water, watching her children, and she included Harry in that group, having a wonderful time, just being children.

Finally everyone began to tire and they wearily made their way back up onto the blanket and towels, grabbing drinks and a few of the remainders of lunch as they flopped down.

Harry went to get his glasses and he found himself next to Ron who was looking at him sheepishly.

"I'm sorry Harry," Ron began. "I know I've been something of a prat lately but I just don't understand you being with Ginny."

Harry looked at Ron and sighed. "Ron," he began, "you are my first friend I ever had and probably my best mate, but you need to understand that what I have with Ginny is something totally different," he said, searching for the right words.

"While you're my mate, Ginny is my Soul-mate and because of that she comes first to me now. Something happened down in the Chamber. What I can't really begin to tell you, we're still coming to terms with it ourselves. I still want to be your friend, but to do so you need to accept me and Ginny, that's all there is to it."

Ron nodded, "Thanks Harry, while I don't understand what's going on, I'll try and accept you two together. I just have a hard time with it, you know?" he said hopefully.

Harry nodded, things weren't back to where they were but it was a start and he hoped that things would continue to improve from here. While Ron could be thick headed at times, he was still a staunch friend and Harry needed every one he could get.

He made his way back over to Ginny, who looked at him and smiled. She had felt what had happened with Ron and while she didn't know exactly what had been said, she knew that things were different and held the promise of getting even better. Taking Harry's hand in hers, she leaned into his side, resting her head on his shoulder, happier than she had ever been before.

**XX HP + GW XX**

**A/N: So Ron seems to be coming around, Albus is beginning to wonder what is happening and we'll see how long it takes him to find out that Harry isn't where he thinks he is.**

**Harry continues to grow into his new family and he and Ginny are still figuring out what the Bond means.**

**As always please review, I won't beg, well maybe just a little. Please help me retain a little of my dignity and review.**


	7. Where Oh Where Can He Be

**Harry and Ginny: A Love Story**

**Chapter 7: Where Oh Where Can He Be?**

**XX HP + GW XX**

Minerva passed the remainder of the week with relative ease. Albus seemed to be missing from the Castle most of the time, letting her relax and not have to try and keep her secret from the Headmaster.

It was Saturday evening and they were having the last dinner together before everyone headed off for their holiday. Minerva sat at her normal place, just to the left side of Albus.

She had seen him glancing at her several times during the meal, each time he seemed to have an appraising look upon his face and she wondered if he had discovered her secret.

She kept her features schooled in her normal stoic countenance, making sure she gave nothing away inadvertently.

It was just as they were finishing the pudding when Albus turned to her. "Are you doing anything special this year?" he asked innocently.

Minerva looked at him shrewdly this was the first time in decades that he had asked about her plans for the holiday. "Why no Albus," she answered. "I plan on visiting my ancestral home as always. Why do you ask?"

"You just seem a little more on edge than usual and I have the feeling you are anxious to leave," Dumbledore replied.

"Well after the events that happened this year and the near loss of one of the students in my house, I am looking forward to getting away for a while," she told him, not really lying.

Dumbledore turned his attention to the last remaining bit of his lemon tart, one of his favourite desserts. "Yes, after the events that transpired this year we are all looking forward to some well earned rest and relaxation."

Minerva breathed a sigh of relief as they finished the meal and Albus bid the staff a good holiday and they all rose, most planning on departing almost immediately. With one last glance at the Headmaster who was involved in a discussion with Hagrid, she left the Great Hall, made her way to her office where she flooed directly to McGonagall Manor.

**XX HP + GW XX**

The next several weeks passed much the same, the kids rising and doing something fun most of the time, though Molly had them all share in doing the chores.

She was surprised that even when he wasn't assigned anything, Harry always ended up helping Ginny and vise versa. The two of them becoming virtually inseparable whenever they were awake.

She was also pleased to see that Ron was really trying to change his attitude concerning Ginny's being with Harry. He wasn't perfect and she still noticed some times that he seemed unhappy that Ginny was always with Harry but it was at least a start and hopefully would continue to improve.

Arthur had been very attentive to Harry in the evenings, he had heard of how poor a role-model that Harry's Uncle had been, so he wanted to try and rectify that in any way he could.

Arthur would usually take Harry out into his shed, meaning that Ginny was usually there too, and help him identify and sort his Muggle items. Harry always had great fun and couldn't help but laugh at some of the strange ideas that Arthur had about some of his things.

On occasion Ginny would remain inside when Molly wanted help, much to Ginny's displeasure, as she really preferred to be with Harry. There were times when she would break out laughing, reacting to Harry's reaction to something her father said or did.

Minerva had finally gotten away from Hogwarts and as far as they knew, Dumbledore was still ignorant of Harry's change of residence and Harry's three new guardians wondered how long it would last.

Aunt Minerva had finally been able to convince Harry that she was capable of supporting him financially, taking care of purchasing his under-things. She did let Harry splurge on several items that he wanted. He had found a really nice pair of black Dragon-hide boots, not only were they virtually indestructible, they were very soft and extremely comfortable.

Unknown to Ginny, he had purchased her an identical pair that he had put aside for her coming birthday. She knew that he was exceedingly happy about something but he pointedly refused to tell her what it was.

That was the first time that Harry and her ever had a disagreement. Ginny had pouted and gotten a little angry, not understanding why Harry refused to share with her. Going so far as to not speaking with him for one full morning, but by lunch, she knew she was hurting Harry quite a bit with her refusal to talk to him that she had finally relented and apologized profusely.

The thing was, the longer she remained angry at Harry, the worse she began to feel. It was their introduction to just how physically they were becoming tied together.

Harry of course was quite shaken by the incident and it wasn't till Ginny came up to him at lunch and said contritely "_I'm sorry, Harry. Can you forgive me for being such a selfish person?"_

"_Yes Ginny, I forgive you, but you need to realize that you hurt me quite allot by refusing to talk to me when I didn't really do anything to you," _Harry sent, sadly. "_I don't ask you to tell me everything and I hope you'll allow me the same __privilege."_

"_Yes Harry, I understand. I. . .I, well I just thought we were sharing everything,"_ she said just as sad as Harry.

"_We share almost everything, but I do want to be able to do things for you without you knowing ahead of time. Can you understand that?"_

Ginny nodded, "_Yeah Harry. Like I said, I'm sorry and I promise to never do something like that again."_

To those who were watching it was a strange affair. Ginny came in to the kitchen, looking totally miserable, she went over to where Harry was sitting and they stared at each other for several minutes. Harry then reached for Ginny and she tucked into his embrace, crying softly as Harry rubbed her back.

The Twins took it all in, guessing that they were using their mind to mind ability and they were impressed by the level of communication that they couldn't comprehend.

Ron, for the most part was just plain puzzled by what he saw and it was one of those times when he struggled with Harry and Ginny's growing relationship. He finally sighed, got up from the table and went back up to his room.

Harry and Ginny spent the rest of the afternoon, spending time together out in the back garden, sitting quietly and adjusting to their first disagreement. It was a bit unnerving to them that so far no one had given then any more information about their Bond, bonds in general and what they could expect.

They were happy that as they spent the quiet time together that they seemed to become even closer. If asked they wouldn't have been able to say exactly what had changed but they both did have the same feeling.

It was late that night when the first signs that all was not well with Ginny. She had gone to sleep as normal. She and Harry had stayed up for a while just talking through their Bond before they both drifted off to sleep.

Harry awoke sometime in the middle of the night feeling quite agitated. At first he wasn't sure what was the source of his discomfort but as the seconds passed he became aware that he was getting the feelings from Ginny.

At first it was just a vague feeling of unease but moment by moment the disquiet grew within him and he knew Ginny was in some kind of distress. Finally her mind broke into his.

Harry was drawn into Ginny's dream, or in reality her nightmare. He saw her descend into the Chamber of Secrets for what would have been the last time. Her mind was still struggling but by that time Tom had begun to reform and was able to control Ginny.

Harry heard as Ginny fought, "_I won't Tom, I won't!"_

"_It's too late little Ginevra, you have given me your secrets, poured out your soul to me and now I will be able finish my absorption of your soul and I will live again."_

Harry felt as Ginny struggled to regain control of her body, but Tom was too strong. He saw her enter the Chamber itself and though she continued to struggle, Tom stole her strength, and she collapsed onto the floor.

It seemed so real to Harry, it was as if he was there again, seeing Ginny laying cold and still in the Chamber.

In Ginny's dream she began to cry and moan as Tom continued his assault, calling Ginny vile names and laughing at her feebler and feebler struggles. It was just before she passed into unconsciousness when Tom explained that his plan was to lure Harry down into the Chamber and kill him.

Ginny cried out, feeling her despair as she realized that she would be the instrument of Harry's death, with one last mighty scream, she passed out.

It was then that Harry realized that Ginny had screamed out loud as she had in her dream. Quickly Harry rose and ran across the hall, Ginny was still thrashing about on her bed, crying out, "Please, not Harry," she sobbed. "Please Tom, you can't."

Harry reached Ginny and without thinking took her into his arms. "_Shh, Ginny. It's OK. Tom is gone and can't hurt you."_

Ginny's eyes snapped open and she looked around wildly for a moment and then her eyes fixed on Harry and grabbing him tightly she began to cry hysterically. As she clung to Harry, he was aware of Molly entering the room.

"What is happening?" she asked lowly, her voice full of concern.

Harry looked up at her, "Ginny had a nightmare," he replied as he kept his arms tightly around his soul-mate.

" _Oh Harry it was horrible," _Ginny moaned into Harry's chest. "_I was back in the Chamber! And Tom was using me to get to you so he could kill you!"_

"_Shh, Ginny, it's OK. We beat him. I'm alive, you're alive and he's not," _Harry sent softly, trying to calm Ginny down.

Molly watched in awe as Harry gently rocked and comforted Ginny. It took a while, but slowly Ginny calmed down under Harry's tender ministrations. Ginny began to cuddle into Harry and she sighed contently.

"Thank you Harry," she mumbled.

Molly came over to the two youngsters, "Alright, Ginny's much calmer now. Why don't you go back to bed Harry?"

Harry could feel Ginny's demeanour change almost instantly and he knew she didn't want him to leave but with a stern glance from Molly, Harry reluctantly left Ginny in her own bed.

Molly went and tucked Ginny back in as Harry returned to his room. He could feel her loneliness and her lingering fear of her nightmare. He wished he could do something more for her but didn't know what.

Ginny waited in the dark, her anxiety rising, afraid to fall back asleep. She listened carefully, and when she was sure that her mother had returned to her room, she sent, "_Harry, are you still awake?"_

"_Yes Ginny, are you OK?_

"_I can't fall back to sleep. I'm afraid I'll have another bad dream,"_ Ginny sent, her voice sounding so sad, she felt it echo back from Harry.

"_I wish I was there to comfort you again," _Harry sent back, his heart aching for his Soul-Mate.

"_Do you mean it?" _Ginny sent hopefully.

"_Yeah I do,"_ Harry sent back.

When Ginny didn't respond, Harry began to worry but suddenly he heard his door open slowly. Ginny tip-toed over to his bed and lifting the blanket and sheet she crawled in next to Harry. He moved over to make room for her and she snuggled once more into his side.

As soon as she did, Harry heard her sigh contently and he felt her calm down once again.

"_Hold me Harry, I really need you to right now,"_ Ginny sent, a touch of anxiety colouring her voice.

Harry gently wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer into his body. He knew that Molly and Arthur probably wouldn't approve but he knew that Ginny's need was greater than the trouble they would get in if they were caught.

Harry began to rub Ginny's back and he felt her relax into his side. She laid her head on his shoulder and within a few minutes he heard her breathing even out as she drifted off to sleep.

He watched her for a little while longer, letting his feelings of love permeate the connection that he felt with Ginny. He felt her acceptance through the bond and with the feelings of love encompassing them both, he followed her to sleep.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Though the school year had ended and the staff had been gone for several weeks Albus Dumbledore's schedule had remained as busy as always. What with the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge owling him almost constantly, some times two or three times in a single day and his other obligations to the Wizengamot and the Confederation of Wizards, he hadn't had the time to check on the wards on Privet Drive since right after the end of the school year.

So it was early Sunday morning that Albus was able to sit down in his office and pull out the small magical machine to check the wards again. He tapped it with his wand and watched it closely, expecting it to show a marked improvement from when he had checked it right after Harry was ton have returned to his Aunt and Uncle's.

To his dismay, the machine huffed and puffed but indicated that the wards were almost to the point of failing.

Albus quickly cast several spells on the small machine, hoping that it was some kind of malfunction that was giving him the poor reading, but when everything seemed to check out he knew he needed to get to Privet Drive immediately to see what was the matter. If the wards weren't strengthened they would fail completely in a very short time, perhaps even by the end of the day.

Albus Dumbledore was not a young man by any means but with a speed belying his age, he hurried as quickly as possible down through the school and out to the Main gate where he could Apparate to Surrey.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Nymphadora Tonks sat in her usual place watching #4 Privet Drive. She hadn't seen much activity of late She had yet to see Harry, the one she was supposed to be protecting and observing. She had seen his Uncle depart every week day to work, though from what she had seen, he rarely moved from in front of the telly during the weekends.

Harry's whale of a cousin would usually leave in the morning and not return home to dinner time. Though on occasion he did come back early accompanied by several of his friends. From the comments she had overheard they were something of a small gang, terrorizing the younger kids in the neighbourhood. If they had been magical children she would have run them in for being a public nuisance.

As for his Aunt, she hadn't shown her face very often, only once or twice during the past week, usually when she went out shopping.

All in all, Tonks found the assignment to be quite boring, though she had an uneasy feeling that she was missing something. Her Auror senses kept telling her something was wrong but every time she thought about it, whatever it was seemed to slip away. It had made her somewhat grouchy and a bit tense, even Dedalus Diggle had made mention of that fact when she had been relieved by him on several occasions.

She was startled out of her reverie by the sound of someone Apparating nearby and she pulled her wand, ready for any trouble that might occur.

She was very surprised to see that the person who had appeared was Albus Dumbledore and he looked extremely agitated, something that she had never seen before in the ancient wizard.

"Nymphadora?" he called out softly.

"Here Professor Dumbledore," she replied, holstering her wand again.

"Have you noticed anything amiss?" the venerable wizard asked.

"Nothing Professor," she replied.

Albus relaxed slightly, at least the wards weren't being drained by some outside force that he could detect. "Really my dear, you are no longer a student and are helping me, can't you call me Albus? I'll start calling you Tonks if you do so," he said, his eyes taking on their characteristic twinkle.

"Um, I'll try Professor," she said shyly. As brash and cheeky as she was, she was still in awe of Albus Dumbledore.

Albus chuckled and looked at the young Auror. "I need to check on young Harry, have you seen him?"

"No Professor," Tonks replied, that nagging something making her frown again.

Dumbledore was so busy staring across the street that he didn't notice the frown that flickered across the Auror's face.

Albus took out his wand and cast several spells silently. He frowned and shook his head. "Most unusual," he muttered, more to himself.

"What's that, sir?" Tonks asked.

"What? Oh, I was commenting on the status of the wards," he answered offhandedly. "They appear to be intact but not recharging correctly," he added with a sigh. "Well, there is nothing for it but to check myself," he declared, still looking questioningly at the house across the street.

Tapping his robes with his wand, he transformed them into a staid dark grey business suit and then looking at Tonks he said, "Perhaps you should accompany me, my dear."

Tonks nodded and she transformed her robes to a very similar suit to Albus', though hers had a nice, proper length skirt instead of trousers. Albus nodded at her and led the way across the street.

They made their way briskly up the walkway and rang the front bell. From inside they heard bellowed out "Petunia! There's someone at the door!"

From further back in the house they faintly heard an exasperated, "Coming, Vernon."

Within moments the door popped open, the smile sliding from her face when she recognized Dumbledore, despite his muggle attire. "What do you want?" she spat.

"I'm sorry to trouble you Petunia, but I was hoping to have a word with young Harry," Dumbledore said pleasantly, causing Tonks to look at him like he'd lost his mind.

Petunia gave him a stunned look, "Harry, the no good for nothing boy. Why would you be looking for him here?" she asked, sneeringly.

Albus was now very confused, something that normally didn't happen, at least not in the last hundred years or so. "I beg your pardon?"

Before Petunia could reply, Vernon Dursley bellowed once more from the parlour, "Who the devil is it Petunia? If it's someone looking for money, send them packing!"

With a glare in her husband's direction she turned back to Dumbledore, "I said why are you looking for him here. Some of you freaks showed up before the end of term, had me sign some papers and we're now free of that troublesome brat."

Albus Dumbledore was stunned into silence, something that had not happened in living memory. It wasn't till Petunia Dursley cleared her throat and glared at the two Wizards before her, that Dumbledore reacted.

"If there is nothing else you can leave our domicile and have the decency never to bother us decent people ever again," Petunia said haughtily.

"Do you know who they were?" Albus pressed.

Just then Vernon Dursley appeared in the doorway to the parlour, the Sunday paper still in his hand. "It's you! I won't stand for any more of you Freaks here in my house. That no go for nothing boy is gone and we couldn't be more pleased, so just get out before I call the police!" he shouted, turning a very nice shade of red.

"Really, couldn't you just . . ." Albus continued.

If Harry had been there he could have warned the two wizards. The vein on his Uncle's forehead was standing out plainly. It was beginning to throb in a clear indication, well at least to Harry, that he was on the verge of a major blow-up.

"I said Get Out!" he screamed, flecks of spittle flying from his mouth.

Tonks was glad she wasn't standing closer and in the line of fire. She couldn't believe these Muggle's reactions, never had she seen a more hostile set of muggles in her life.` Tonks could not believe in meeting them that Dumbledore had left Harry in their care at all.

Dumbledore and Tonks made a hasty retreat, seeing that they weren't going to get anything more from the Dursleys. As they made their way back across the street, a very perplexed Dumbledore turned to Tonks.

"Well seeing as Harry is no longer here, you no longer need to keep watch. "I'll inform the others and if anything changes I'll be in contact. If you hear any rumours at the Ministry of Harry's where abouts, please let me know as soon as you can," the Headmaster said, transforming his suit back into his robes.

"OK, Professor," Tonks replied, still with that lingering doubt about something to do with Harry. By the time she thought to mention it to Albus he had already Disapparated away.

With a shrug of her shoulders she Apparated, thinking to herself that she now had time to get a decent lunch and maybe even some rest before she needed to report to the Ministry for her shift.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Albus Dumbledore paced his office frantically. His mind working feverishly trying to figure out what had happened to Harry. While he was fairly certain that whoever had made the arrangements to take Harry from the Dursleys didn't have any malicious intent as they shouldn't have been able to penetrate the wards if they did so, he was still at a loss as to who and why they had spirited Harry away.

He did know that Harry had boarded the Hogwarts Express at the end of the school year and there had been no reports of anything happening during the trip, so he had to conclude that Harry had safely made it back to King's Cross Station. It was from there that he had no idea what had become of the boy.

Albus had tried to use some of his many magical devices but all he had been able to determine with any certainty was that Harry was alive and still in England, but other than that he could not pinpoint his location. The only logical explanation was he was somewhere that was protected by some very powerful wards.

To say that he was displeased would be a huge understatement. Somehow Harry Potter had slipped from his grasp and now was effectively out of his control for at least the summer, unless he could somehow locate the boy and recover him from whomever had taken him.

Dumbledore sat down heavily and cast his gaze at Fawkes. Albus had tried to use his Phoenix to locate Harry but his familiar was unable or unwilling to do so. He had just looked back at him and chirped inquisitively but remained perched here in the office.

Albus momentarily considered asking the Weasleys whether or not they had seen who had meet Harry but realized he'd have to admit that he had no idea where the boy was to do so and he certainly didn't want to do that yet at this juncture.

Sighing heavily he came to the conclusion that he was going to need help in tracking the boy down, as loath as he was to do so, he just didn't have the necessary time to search himself.

Shaking his head he turned to Fawkes, "I need you to take a message to Alastor Moody," he said as he grabbed a piece of parchment. He quickly scribbled a note requesting that he come to Hogwarts as soon as possible. He rolled it up, affixed a magical seal to it and gave it to his Phoenix.

Fawkes eyed him for a moment before disappearing in a burst of flame. Albus returned to his desk and got back to work, Alastor would be here soon and there was no one he trusted more to carry out the search for the missing Harry Potter.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Harry awoke very early, his senses heighten by his knowledge that he didn't want anyone to discover that Ginny had spent the remainder of the night in his bed.

Listening carefully he could hear the low noise of someone descending the stairs towards the kitchen. He was pretty sure it was Molly as she was normally the first one up.

He gently shook Ginny's shoulder to wake her, wanting to get her back into her own room before they were discovered.

Ginny stirred slightly, a small frown forming on her face but she resisted his efforts to wake her.

"Ginny," he whispered, as he shook her again.

"Jus' a few more mins, Mum," Ginny muttered, still half asleep.

Harry couldn't help but smile as he shook her one last time, "Ginny, you need to wake up."

Slowly one eye opened blearily, as it focused on Harry, the other eye opened too and she blushed deeply. "What is it," she asked sleepily.

"You should probably go back to your own room before someone comes looking for us," Harry said softly.

He felt Ginny sigh and cuddle a little closer into his body. "But it's so warm and comfortable here," she complained.

Harry felt her conflicting emotions and he knew she was fighting with herself whether to stay or go.

"What time is it?" she asked, rubbing her face deeper into Harry's chest.

"Almost seven," Harry answered.

Ginny snuggled even closer than before, "We've got plenty of time, Mum never makes us get up till at least nine," she said, a smile forming on her face. "Relax Harry, I really don't want to get up and leave right now. Unless of course you want me to."

Harry looked at the warm wonderful witch that was snuggled so tightly against him and had to smile himself. He really didn't want her to go, it just felt so right having her here with him and so with a shrug, he settled back down, hugging Ginny with a gently squeeze, letting her know that she was where he wanted her to be.

As he closed his eyes, he took in a whiff of her heady fragrance and he felt more content and happy than he thought possible and as he felt Ginny dropping off back to sleep, he joined her in peaceful slumber.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Alastor Moody stomped back to his rooms at the small inn he stayed at. It had been a long night as he followed a suspect that he had been trailing for the Ministry.

Though he was officially retired he still sometimes took on assignments when he was asked to. It beat sitting around all the time during his so called retirement.

He had just removed his wooden leg and poured himself a shot of Old Ogden's when Dumbledore's Phoenix flashed into his room, dropping a message and was gone again in a moment.

"Damn bird," he muttered. "Lucky I didn't hex it." Though he knew that it hadn't been there long enough for him to even draw his wand.

He took out his wand and tapped the seal, anyone else who had done so would have gotten at the minimum a burnt hand as the scroll would have burst into flames.

He read the note, and grumbled, "What is it now?"

Taking a sip of his firewhiskey he contemplated what to do. He was dead tired and as he re-read the note and saw it said as soon as possible and not immediately, he decided that a few hours sleep seemed to be in order before heading off to Hogwarts, after all he had already removed his leg.

Downing the last of the Ogden's he hopped over to his bed, laid down and was asleep in moment, though his magical eye kept up it's scanning of the surroundings. His unproclaimed motto of Constant Vigilance taking precedence even in sleep.

**XX HP + GW XX**

**A/N: Well Albus has finally found out that Harry isn't where he's supposed to be and isn't none to pleased. He hasn't panicked yet, as it is hard to rattle a powerful as a wizard as he is. **

**Life goes on at the Burrow and Harry and Ginny are still finding out more about each other and their Bond.**

**As always please review.**


	8. Like a Needle in a Haystack

**Harry and Ginny: A Love Story**

**Chapter 8: Like a Needle In a Haystack**

The sun was much higher in the sky when Harry woke for the second time. Ginny was still snuggled tightly into his side and he had an arm wrapped around her protectively.

He couldn't help but notice the smile on Ginny's face as she slept, her head resting on his shoulder and her arm draped across his chest. The soft light that was filtering into the room through the curtains covering his open window gave her skin a soft glow.

That along with the way it made her hair shine mesmerized Harry and he couldn't ever remember seeing anything that looked so beautiful in his whole life.

Almost as if she could feel his gaze, her eyes fluttered open, meeting his. Her smile widened and she gave him a hug, gently squeezing herself tighter into his side. "See I told no one would bother us," she said softly.

"Yeah but we still could be caught," Harry said, looking very nervous.

Ginny sat up and stretched and Harry thought she looked very cat like as she did so. "I haven't slept so well in a long time," Ginny said softly, looking at Harry and smiling.

Harry couldn't help but smile back, Ginny's feelings of happiness permeating him through their Bond. She bounced out of bed and turned and hugged him again. "See, now if anyone comes in I can say I'm in here waking you up."

Harry had to laugh at her deviousness, and he followed her out of the bed. "I wonder what we'll be having for breakfast," Ginny said, as her stomach gave a rumble. "I hope it's pancakes," she added with a giggle.

Harry could only shake his head, the idea of actually getting a full breakfast and having someone ask what he wanted was so foreign to him now that he wasn't at Hogwarts.

Ginny felt his emotions, "What is it?" she asked.

"It's just so strange," Harry replied. "I mean when I stayed with my relatives, I was lucky to get some dry toast and a glass of water for breakfast. I sure like it here better," he said shyly.

Ginny didn't want him to dwell on the past so she hauled him towards the door, "Come on, lets get down there before my brothers eat everything."

Harry couldn't help but be cheered by Ginny's attitude and he found himself smiling as she drug him down the stairs.

Harry and Ginny bound into the kitchen and were surprised to find Aunt Minerva there, sipping on a cup of tea and enjoying a raspberry scone.

"Good morning Aunt Minerva," Harry and Ginny said together, causing them both to giggle.

"Good morning to you too," she replied with a smile.

Ginny pushed Harry down into a seat across from Minerva and went over to her mother at the stove. She looked at the frying pan and smiled, "Pancakes!" she said to Harry, before she headed to the cold box to get out juice for Harry and her.

Minerva took in Harry's smile at Ginny's pronouncement, and she was sure that he hadn't gotten anything like that at his relatives house.

Harry looked at Minerva with a smile and said, "What brings you here today?"

"What? Can't I come visit you and Ginny without a special reason?" Minerva chided playfully.

Harry blushed deeply, never before had someone come just to see him, or at least him and Ginny. "Well I guess, but I'm just not use to it," he said shyly.

"You're just going to have to get use to it Harry," Minerva said kindly. "I take my job as one of your guardians very seriously."

Harry dropped his gaze, not use to being the centre of attention. Ginny could feel his mixed emotions, uncomfortable with someone showing that kind of attention to him, but elated just the same that someone actually did.

"_Relax Harry,"_ she sent as she poured juice for him and her. After which she came over and gave him a hug and sat down next to him.

"There is another reason for my visit too," Minerva said with a smile, "A couple as a matter-of-fact. First I wanted to tell you that I wasn't able to find out much more about what you may expect while you Bond. It seems the records of the previous Bond-mates was lost in the Great Fire of London back in 1666, so we're pretty much on our own because of that for now, though in the future I may be able to check with some other sources. We'll just have to be discreet for now so we don't let anything slip."

Harry's and Ginny's faces fell, showing their disappointment at that news. Though they were enjoying what they were sharing now, they wished that they knew more about what to expect.

"Second," Minerva continued, "I'm here to take you shopping again Harry. Molly has informed me of the deplorable condition of some of your things and we need to rectify that."

Just as Molly had warned her, Harry got a defiant look on his face, "I won't be a burden, I have money and can pay for my own things," he said adamantly.

Molly looked a Minerva to see how she was going to handle the situation and she was glad that she had tipped her off to Harry's intractable position.

Minerva smiled at Harry, "Trust me Harry, you are not a burden and it is one of my jobs as your guardian to help provide for you. I'm well able to fulfill that role and please don't deny me the fun and privilege of doing so."

Harry was quite taken aback. He had never thought that someone would actually want to do something like that for him and the fact that Minerva had said, fun and privilege befuddled him.

Ginny could feel his confusion, "_It's OK Harry, let Aunt Minerva help. She wants to, I can tell."_

Harry looked at her questioningly, "_Are you sure Ginny?"_

"_Yes Harry, I'm sure."_

"_Will you come too?" _he asked his Bond-mate.

"_You bet! I wouldn't want to miss it for anything,"_ she sent with a grin.

Molly and Minerva watched as Harry and Ginny stared at one another for several minutes, at first not realizing what was taking place but then Minerva rolled her eyes and shook her head. The first thing they had come to her about was the fact that they could talk mind to mind.

Minerva got up on the pretext to freshen her cup of tea but whispered to Molly, "I'm pretty sure they are talking to one another."

"I know, they do it quite often and they are practically inseparable," Molly replied with a small smile. "I wonder what will happen at Hogwarts next year?"

"_Harry, I really think you should let Aunt Minerva take care of your everyday things," _Ginny sent.

Harry started to protest but then thought better of it as Ginny looked at him pleadingly. He could feel her concern and he knew it was probably the right thing to do.

"_OK, but I'm going to insist on buying some of my own things that I might want that are beyond the normal things, like some new Quidditch gear," _Harry sent, firmly but pleasantly.

"_I think that would be a good idea and I'm sure that will be acceptable if you ask. Don't be pig-headed though or you'll only get them mad at you. Try to get things by being nice and I'm sure they'll be much more likely to allow it than if you fight with them,"_ Ginny sent with a smile.

Harry nodded at Ginny and smiled at her. They then turned to Minerva and Molly, "OK Aunt Minerva, but is it OK if I buy some of my own extra stuff, like new Quiditch gear and anything that would be beyond what would normally be covered?" Harry asked, maintaining a pleasant manner.

Minerva thought about it for a moment, "That will be acceptable, but only if Molly, Arthur or I approve of your purchases. You just can't go spending Galleons like they're water.

"I can accept that," Harry said with a smile. Turning to Molly he said, "Can Ginny come with us? I'd like her help with picking out some of my new clothes."

Ginny looked at her Mum, her eyes silently begging to be allowed to accompany Harry and Minerva to Diagon Alley.

Molly took one look at Ginny and almost burst out laughing at the puppy dog eyes the were staring at her. Minerva also had to stifle a laugh at the comical expression on Ginny's face.

"It's OK with me as long as it's OK with Minerva," Molly said, smiling at the older witch.

Minerva had to chuckle as Ginny turned her face to her and with the same pleading look, waited to hear if she could come.

"It's fine with me," she finally said.

Ginny broke out into a huge smile and she got up quickly, grabbing Harry's hand and began to pull him towards the stairs. "Come on Harry. Let's get changed!" she said gleefully.

As the two youngsters vanished up the stairs, Minerva looked at Molly who was watching with the same look of delight at the exuberance of the children.

"I'm somewhat surprised that Harry asked that Ginny help him pick out his clothes," Minerva said.

Molly chuckled, "I'm not, if you could see them together all the time, you'd know who he is going to be dressing for. Who better to help pick out what he should be wearing."

Minerva had to laugh at Molly's comment, though slightly young yet, Harry and Ginny were starting to exhibit the actions of somewhat older teens.

"Do you need me to come along?" she asked Minerva.

"I'll be fine, Molly. If I can't handle two children, I should probably retire from teaching," she said, refreshing her tea before sitting down to wait for Harry and Ginny to come back down.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody stomped his way from the gate to Hogwarts to the main Entrance, grumbling all the way. "Damnation," he muttered, "There should be some better way to get from the gate to the Castle. Hell, they have carriages for the bloody kids, yet they expect visitors to walk."

He finally made it to the doors and found them open. Shaking his head he wondered what Dumbledore was thinking. Moody knew that Dumbledore was certainly aware that a war was brewing, but he sure didn't act like it.

In the stillness of the summer morning his wooden leg echoed sharply in the empty corridors. Clunk, Clunk, Clunk, it sounded as he made his way to the Headmaster's Office. He was glad that he had taken the time to get some rest, he would have hated to make this long trip earlier, as tired as he was.

Giving a snort of a chuckle, he smiled wryly, thinking how age had slowed him down almost as much as his various injuries had.

He finally arrived at the Gargoyle that guarded the stairs that led up to the office. He was surprised to find the way open and he decided that a little reminder about "Constant Vigilance" was warranted.

His Magical eye scanned the way and he saw that the way was clear. He shook his head, the Castle was so permeated with magic after centuries of it soaking into the very stone of the edifice, that his magical eye was almost useless inside the building.

As he rode the spiralling stairs up to Dumbledore's office he wondered idly what the old wizard wanted. Though he knew the work Dumbledore was involved in was important, he was glad to supplement his retirement with the extra Galleons he earned from the Ministry and he just hoped that whatever he was wanted to do wouldn't take up too much time.

Dumbledore was bent over a parchment on his desk, quill scratching hurriedly as it flew across the page. Alastor took his staff and rapped it a couple of times on the door frame.

Dumbledore's head shot up and when he saw who it was a smile broke out on his face. "Ah, Alastor, I'm glad you could make it so quickly," he said as he rose.

Moody stomped his way over to a chair by the desk and flopped down into it. "What's so all fired urgent that you had that bloody bird flash into my room late last night?" he growled.

Fawkes trilled at him disapprovingly, and after eyeing him for a moment he flashed away, leaving Alastor and Dumbledore alone.

Dumbledore's face took on a serious look as he paced back around his desk. "We have a bit of a situation Alastor," he said with a frown.

Moody just watched him pace, not interrupting, knowing to do so would only slow things down.

"It seems that Harry Potter has gone missing," Albus said, stopping and looking at Moody to gauge his reaction.

'Hell, Bells, Dumbledore! How in the name of all that's Holy did you manage to lose the Boy?" Alastor spat out

"It seems that someone has managed to convince his Aunt to sign over her guardianship before the end of the school year and instead of his returning to Surrey at the end of the year, he disappeared after arriving at Kings Cross Station to whereabouts unknown," Dumbledore stated, trying to sound not terribly concerned.

Mad-Eye grumbled as he shook his head. "What the hell has been going on?"

"For once I have no idea," Dumbledore admitted.

"Do you have anyone out looking for the boy?" Alastor asked pointedly.

"That's what I was hoping you would do," Albus replied. When Moody scowled at him he added "I do have Auror Tonks keeping an ear out at the Ministry for any mention of his whereabouts."

Mad-Eye went silent and contemplated Dumbledore and his dilemma, "What else have you done to try to track him down?", his magical eye focusing on the Headmaster.

"Not much really. I don't wish to cause undue alarm," Albus said.

"Hum. . . . Well I guess if your toys can't place him, I'll have to do this the old fashioned way," Moody said with a smile that was twisted by his scarred features.

Dumbledore looked at him hopefully, "I have great faith in you Alastor, if anyone can find him you can."

"Humph," was Moody's only reply. Then rising, he looked at Dumbledore, "Anything else I should know before I go?"

"Not really, all I can say is this is of the utmost importance and I can't stress enough about how discreet you need to be," Albus said.

"I'll be in touch," the grizzled old Auror said, and then turning he left Dumbledore sitting at his desk.

Dumbledore watched him go and satisfied that he had delegated the task to the person best suited to handle it, he turned his attention back to the mountain of work on his desk.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Ron and Percy descended into the kitchen just as Harry and Ginny were heading up the stairs. Both were surprised to see Professor McGonagall sitting in their kitchen, calmly sipping tea and munching on a scone.

Percy immediately went into Prefect mode. "Good Morning Professor, to what do we owe the pleasure of your visit?" he said, rather pompously.

Ron just muttered under his breath, "Pleasure?"

"Ronald, where are your manners?" Molly said a bit sternly.

"Sorry Mum," he replied sheepishly. "Good morning Professor," he mumbled.

Molly rolled her eyes and gave a small shake of her head. Sometimes she just didn't understand her youngest son. None of his brothers had been as surly as Ron could be.

As the two Weasley boys sat down for breakfast, Molly plated up their breakfasts and set them on the table. Ron dove right in, as usual eating like he hadn't seen food in weeks instead of just since dinner last night.

Percy rolled his eyes and shot Ron a very disapproving look and he started in eating at a much more sedate pace, his other hand on his lap and with an air of superiority looked at the Professor.

"It's very nice to see you Professor. I for one am glad to see you, though it is quite unusual to see a teacher after the school year," he said rather formally.

"Well yes it is a little unusual, but these are unusual times and circumstances," Minerva replied. "And because of it you'll probably be seeing me occasionally through the year."

"Really?" Percy said in surprise.

Ron didn't comment but his head had shot up, he had a slightly stunned look on his face and looked like he had just heard bad news.

"Well yes," Minerva drawled, enjoying the boys reactions. "Since I am one of Harry's guardians I'll be here on a somewhat regular basis."

Percy looked shocked but it was nothing compared to the look on Ron's face. He was looking quite peekish and for once had stopped eating his breakfast. "Visiting regularly?" he managed to squeak out after a moment, his voice rising several octaves.

"Yes that's right, dear," his mother said, as she sat down at the table with a cup of tea of her own.

Percy and Ron were just staring at the adults when they were startled by the sounds of people coming down the stairs. Fred and George came barrelling into the kitchen, followed closely by Harry and Ginny who were once again hand in had and smiling at one another like they had just shared a secret.

The twins paid no one any mind, just gave everyone a quick "Good morning" before they started in on their breakfasts. Molly was a bit surprised because they treated having Minerva there like it happened all the time.

Ron scowled at Harry and Ginny, and Molly wondered if it was his previous attitude re-exerting itself or because of hearing the Professor McGonagall would be visiting the Burrow on a consistent basis. Sighing she wondered if he'd ever get over his inferiority complex and the jealousy it sparked.

Her attention was brought back to the present when Minerva rose and went over to Harry and Ginny. "All set you two?" she asked with a smile.

Harry and Ginny looked up at her and smiled back, "Yes Mam," the replied in unison.

"Right, now since Harry is subject to a lot of unwarranted attention I want to cast some charms on the two of you to change your appearance slightly to make you a little less recognizable, that is if you have no objections," Minerva continued pleasantly.

Both Harry and Ginny nodded enthusiastically, feeling that they were embarking on an adventure, neither having been transfigured before to alter their appearance and finding the idea quite exciting.

Harry's hair was changed to a medium brown, his eyes a bright blue and a concealing charm was used to hide his scar. Ginny had her hair colour changed from her brilliant red to a brown that was very close in colour to Harry's and they looked like they could have been brother and sister.

Ron looked on with a frown on his face and Molly wasn't sure if it was because he didn't approve or was jealous that he wasn't included in their little sojourn.

After Minerva was done the three of them went to the Fireplace where they would floo to Diagon Alley, via the Leaky Cauldron. With the prerequisite flash of green flames and the disorienting spinning they all ended up in the Leaky Cauldron, where they made their way into the back alley where Minerva tapped the correct brick to open the archway.

Harry was almost as impressed as he was when Hagrid had brought him to Diagon Alley for the first time. The hustle and bustle of the magical marketplace was as overwhelming as ever, with vendors hawking their wares, people scurrying to and fro, greeting friends and yelling for attention from sales people.

Harry couldn't help but smile, he found the sights and sounds exhilarating and he felt his heart beat rise with his excitement. Ginny too felt the excitement, though she did so mainly through Harry. She had always found the crowded lanes and the hurried feeling somewhat overwhelming and she preferred to shop in Ottery St. Catchpole where the pace was much more laid back.

"Please hold hands stay with me," Minerva said. "It's quite busy today and I don't want to risk getting separated."

Both Harry and Ginny nodded in agreement, neither wanted to get lost in the huge crowds that filled the streets.

Minerva took a hold of Ginny's free hand, the other one firmly gripping Harry's as the started into the crowd. As bad as it had looked, it wasn't actually too bad once they got away from the archway. The further up the Alley they got, the more the crowds thinned out.

They first went to Madam Malkin's where Minerva got Harry several new sets of robes, both everyday and one dress. Harry got particularly upset while trying on his new dress robes when he felt Ginny's sadness at not having anything as nice to match with Harry's.

"_I could always buy you a new set," _Harry offered.

"_I'm sure Mum wouldn't permit that,"_ Ginny replied sadly.

Minerva could see Harry's change of demeanour, "What's the matter Harry?" she asked softly.

"Ginny's sad that she doesn't have anything as nice to match my new dress robes," Harry admitted. "And she's sure that Molly wouldn't allow me to buy her some," Harry added, downcast.

Minerva smiled at her young ward and his Bond-mate, "Well I'm pretty sure I can convince her to allow me to do so."

Harry looked up hopefully, "Are you sure?" he asked incredulously.

"I'm pretty sure and if need be I can always say that they're a birthday present," Minerva said with a wink.

Harry's heart swelled when the happiness that Ginny was feeling passed through the Bond to him. It was matched by the smile on her face. Once they were done with Harry's robes they had the saleswoman help Ginny pick out several different robes to try on.

Minerva had them go in the back so she could cancel the transformation on Ginny's hair so they could make sure they looked good.

Harry was stunned when he saw Ginny in her dress robes, they made her look a little older and actually made her look more womanly, accentuating her budding breasts and widening hips. They were enchanted to enhance those attributes slightly.

Ginny blushed when Harry looked at her, she could feel his approval of the way she looked and though she was very pleased that she looked so good, she was also not use to it and the feelings that it caused in her.

"_Ginny, you look stunning!" _Harry sent, in total awe of how she looked.

Blushing deeper, Ginny replied _"Thank you Harry. Though the dress is charmed to make me look better."_

"_I don't care Ginny, it's only enhancing what you have and whatever, you look Brilliant!"_

Ginny giggled and had to cover her face for a moment but when she dropped her hands she was smiling widely and the saleswoman gave her a wink as she nodded in Harry's direction.

Once they were done at Madam Malkin's they headed back out and proceeded up the Alley. They came across a new clothing store, Murphy's Muggle Mantles and they went inside.

Ginny right away drug Harry down the aisles picking out several shirts, khakis and jeans for Harry to try on. Minerva was quite amused with the way Ginny handled Harry and she was just as surprised at how Harry let Ginny have her way.

She let Ginny and Harry pick out several outfits and some new trainers. She also insisted that he buy some nice dress shoes to wear with his new dress robes. Minerva couldn't remember the last time she had so much fun shopping. The enthusiasm and excitement of the kids infecting her with the same level of fun that they were experiencing.

Minerva had shrunk down all the packages so that they weren't burdened with all they had purchased for the two of them. As they headed back towards the Leaky Cauldron, Harry made them stop at Eeylops so that he could purchase some owl treats for Hedwig, which Minerva let him buy with his own money.

As a treat, Minerva took them to Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour before they left. It was while sitting there outside that they were interrupted. Minerva heard someone say, "Hello there Professor McGonagall," and they looked up to find Auror Tonks smiling at them.

"Who do we have here?" she asked, indicating Harry and Ginny.

Harry and Ginny froze for a moment unsure what to do, but Minerva calmly introduced them, "Let me introduce you to my niece and nephew, Britney and Bryce. I am taking care of them for a few days while their parents are away."

"I'm please to meet you, are you enjoying your visit here to London?" the young Auror asked.

Harry and Ginny glanced at one another before Ginny replied, "Yes Mam, very much."

Tonks laughed, "No need to call me Mam, you can call me Tonks, all my friends do."

"OK, Tonks," Ginny said with a smile. Even though she knew she had to be careful, especially since Minerva had pointedly introduced them as her niece and nephew, she couldn't help but like the young Auror.

Harry was equally taken with the young Auror for some reason that he couldn't explain and he felt bad about having to lie to her.

"What flavour do you have," Tonks asked him, looking over his shoulder.

"Triple Chocolate Delight," Harry answered softly, taking another spoonful.

"Umm, sounds delicious, and how about you," she said turning to Ginny.

"Chunky Strawberry," Ginny said with a smile.

"That's one of my favourites," Tonks told her, smiling back at they young witch.

Tonks turned to Minerva and they began to talk about the goings on at the school and what certain people that they both knew, were up to.

Harry and Ginny were finishing their ice creams when Ginny dropped her napkin and both Harry and she bent to pick it up, knocking their heads lightly. They both sat up, rubbing their heads and Ginny reflexly said, "Thanks Harry."

Minerva and Tonks looked at them and Ginny realized what she'd done. "Sorry, I shouldn't have called him that. When we were younger and Bryce was clumsy I called him a hairy beast. Now I just shorten it to Hairy and he knows what I mean, but Mum has been after me to stop."

Minerva recovered first, "Yes as she should. You really must be nicer to your brother Britney."

Tonks looked from Ginny to Minerva, at first with a slight frown on her face, but then she broke into a smile and said to Ginny, "Well I don't have a brother, but I'd probably have similar nick names for him if I did." As she was saying that to Ginny she reached up and ruffled Harry's hair, dragging her hand down across his forehead as she finished.

She gave a strange look for a moment, she could of swore that she felt something on his forehead, but when she looked she couldn't see anything.

Minerva took that moment to say, "Well we really should be going, I need to get these two home for lunch."

The thought that was trying to form in Tonks' mind, slipped away and she said her good byes to Minerva and the two children. As she left Minerva breathed a sigh of relief.

When she was far enough away, Ginny said, "I'm sorry I let Harry's name slip."

Harry could feel how badly Ginny felt and he took her into a big hug.

"It's OK Ginny," Minerva said sympathetically. "You did a bang up job of covering up for it. Hairy Beast," she added with a chuckle.

"Thanks Ginny, is that how you see me?" Harry asked, but you could tell he was amused.

Ginny felt slightly better after that but she still wished she hadn't let anything slip. Finished their shopping and ice cream they headed back to the Leaky Cauldron to Floo back to the Burrow.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Mad-Eye made his way to Kings Cross Station. He knew it was a going to be like looking for a needle in a haystack without magic because of the amount of time that had passed but he figured you never know what someone will remember and he might get lucky.

He had transformed his robes to look like a Muggle detective and put a charm on his magic eye so it looked like a muggle glass eye.

He had been standing in the background, taking in the hub-bub of the busy station. There were several prospects for questioning, the main ones were a ticket agent who had a great view of the area and a porter who seemed to always be around.

He waited to a lull in the traffic of people hustling to get to their trains, the ticket agent was free first so Alastor went and talked to him. He still had his Ministry issued Muggle Police ID. He flashed it at the Agent who cooperated with the grizzled Auror without a fuss.

Alastor had a copy of a picture of Harry that had been muggle developed which he showed to the agent. "Did you happen to see this kid come through here several weeks ago. It would have been on the day all the weird kids come through," Moody growled.

The agent knew exactly what day Moody was referring to, every June there was a day when kids came through with the strangest assortment of luggage and most had some kind of animal with them. He studied the picture closely.

"Nah, I don't recall seeing this kid, but then again I see mainly the outbound passengers," the man said with a shrug. "Is he in some kind of trouble?" he asked.

"Nah, missing person case," Moody replied.

"Well I hope you find him, but there are a lot of runaways that come through here, most never return home," the agent added. He shook his head and said sadly, "It's a shame really, so many turn to drugs and crime to survive."

Moody left the man to his work as a new batch of people came to buy tickets. He was able to catch the porter taking a short break before the arrival of the next train.

Once again he showed the man Harry's picture. He studied it carefully, face in a frown but he eventually shook his head. "Sorry, I can't quite place him. He looks familiar but it just isn't clicking," the porter said slowly.

Moody wished he could get a Legilimens to penetrate his mind but that would require Ministry approval if he wanted to stay legal or at least taking someone into his confidence about who he was looking for and he was sure that Dumbledore would not want to go that route.

Sighing in frustration, Moody left as the next train was announced and the porter needed to return to work. He walked around the corner of a pillar and Apparated away.

The porter was thinking hard and then it came to him, the kid had been with the family of redheads, a whole slew of them. He turned around and just saw the back of the detective disappearing around a corner, he hurried after him hoping to help locate the missing boy. But he stopped in shock when he rounded the corner and found no one. Shaking his head, he went back to his station as the first of the passengers were debarking from the train, looking for help with their luggage.

**XX HP + GW XX**

**A/N: Close calls all around, Will Tonks figure it out? Will Moody track Harry down? Will the Grinch steal Christmas? **

**As always please review.**


	9. Weren't We Here Before?

**Harry and Ginny: A Love Story**

**Chapter 9: Weren't We Here Before?**

It was after breakfast the next morning when Harry came down dressed in some of his new clothes. He had a new pair of jeans that actually fit him, a nice new tee shirt that fit as well, instead of one the size of a tent and new trainers that didn't need paper stuffed in the toes and the soles weren't half off, flopping with every step he took.

He did have a slight air about him with all the new clothing and he found himself tugging and straightening everything because to him is seemed a little tight. He knew, of course, that it just because everything use to be so big and now things actually fit right. He just hoped that things would break in quickly and he'd get over the feeling of snugness.

Ginny was waiting patiently in the kitchen and smiled as Harry entered. He looked at her and blushed, he could feel her enjoyment at looking at him. He actually looked totally different. You could actually make out his body and wiry frame now.

"_Turn around, Harry,"_ she sent, as she studied him closely.

Harry turned in a circle, much to the amusement of Molly.

"_Very nice Harry," _Ginny sent, her smile widening. "_You look totally different and I mean that in the nicest way possible."_

Ginny got up and went over to Harry and hugged him, causing him to blush once again.

"_What's so different?" _Harry sent back.

"_I can see your cute butt now,"_ Ginny sent saucily.

"Ginny!" Harry cried in embarrassment.

Ginny just smiled back at him and returned to her seat. Molly looked at her daughter and asked, "What did you say to him?" she asked.

"I told him what a cute butt he has," Ginny said to her mother.

Molly almost choked on her tea when she heard Ginny, "Ginny, what a thing to say!" she chided.

Harry was blushing furiously now and had buried his face in his hands. "_Godric, Ginny. Can you make this any more embarrassing for me?"_

Ginny just giggled at him but did send him her feelings of pride and support. She couldn't believe at how much better her Bond-mate looked now.

Getting up she took Harry by the arm and led him out back into the garden. She steered him over to the wooden bench under the huge old oak tree that dominated the area. It's wide canopy casting a large area of cool shade.

Ginny sat beside Harry but not too close. "I'm sorry if I embarrassed you, Harry," she said softly. "But I think you look so handsome in your new clothes, I mean things actually fit you now and you have to admit that you do look much better than in your cousin's cast offs."

"I know Ginny, it's just that growing up I learned never to draw any attention to myself," he replied sadly, his head drooping as he stared at the ground.

Ginny laid her hand on his shoulder in sympathy. "I'm so sorry Harry. I can guess how bad things must have been, but you no longer have to return there and as you Bond-mate, I feel that I have a right to admire your physical attributes. We are a couple you know."

Harry tried to calm his racing heart. He knew intellectually what Ginny was saying was true, but his heart didn't want to listen. The concept was still so foreign to him.

Ginny could feel his continued melancholy and she felt bad that she was the trigger that had brought the issue to the forefront. She laid her head on his shoulder and sighed. Harry was beginning to come around, but it was evident that he still had a long way to go.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Molly watched as Ginny and Harry went out back. She was a little concerned about Harry's reaction. Though she thought it normal for a boy his age to be embarrassed by what Ginny had said, there was something about it that worried her.

It wasn't the embarrassment and as she thought about it, she realized that it was because he turned sad because of it. That wasn't a normal reaction at all and she wondered just how much his treatment at his so called relatives had to do with it.

She vowed to herself to try and keep a close eye on him, not that she wasn't going to anyway, what with his just coming to live with them. Sighing, Molly knew that raising Harry wasn't going to be a bed of roses and he brought his own problems with him.

It wasn't that her kids were perfect, far from it, all had issues while growing up and still did for that matter. She just realized that Harry's were different and perhaps a bit more pressing and serious.

She did take encouragement from the fact that just by getting him into a much healthier environment was going to be a big help all by itself and she was sure that even though she didn't know much about them, his Bond with Ginny certainly was going to be a positive thing in Harry's life.

She was just starting the dough for that nights bread when there came a knock at the door. Wiping her hands she quickly answered it and was surprised to see the young Auror, Nymphadora Tonks standing there.

Her heart caught in her throat for a second, but she relaxed when the girls said, "Hey Molly, you always said I could come to you if I ever needed someone to talk to. I was wondering if you had some time now?"

Molly noticed how down she seemed and with a glance toward the garden where Ginny and Harry had disappeared to, she smiled and said "Sure, come on in. I'll put on some tea and we can have a nice girl to girl chat."

Molly didn't want to alarm or tip off Tonks, but she also didn't want her to discover Harry was there until she knew where the Auror stood and maybe even talked about it with Minerva.

Molly made a quick decision, "Could you keep an eye on the kettle while I run out back and tell Ginny something?"

Tonks smiled at her, "Of course Molly."

Molly hurried out to where Ginny and Harry were. "Ginny, Harry, please don't come back in the house till I come and get you, OK?" she said, trying not to alarm the two kids.

"Sure Mum," Ginny answered, "Is something the matter?"

"Nymphadora Tonks has shown up and wants to talk with me. She's a nice young lady I've met several times at a couple of the Ministry functions I've attended with your father. I'd just rather not have Harry seen just yet."

Harry and Ginny nodded, "OK, we'll stay here or be down by the pond," Ginny replied.

Harry wondered about their visitor, and he hoped it didn't have anything to do with him. He didn't think so because of what Molly had said, but he knew adults didn't always tell you the truth about some things.

He watched Molly go back to the house, "_Ginny, do you think the Miss Tonks is here because of me?" _he sent, a little worried.

Ginny thought real hard and wondered the same thing but she knew her Mum and she was pretty sure she had told them the truth. "_No, I don't think so Harry," _she replied.

Harry nodded, feeling relieved that Ginny didn't think anything of Tonks' being there, and the feelings he was getting from her let him know she was telling him exactly what she thought.

"Can we go see the pond you mentioned?" he asked with a small smile.

Ginny smiled back, feeling Harry calming down and his curiosity about the pond. "Sure, Harry," she said as she stood, taking his hand and leading him down the path towards their pond.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Molly returned to the kitchen just as Tonks was removing the kettle from the stove. "Thank you Nymphadora," she said with a smile.

Tonks blushed slightly, "I prefer it if you would just call me Tonks, or if you must, Dora."

Molly eyed the young Auror, an eyebrow raised critically, "OK, Dora," she replied. "I'm sorry, I just have a hard time calling someone by their last name." She then chuckled, "My Mum would have smacked me if I ever did something like that."

Tonks smiled back at the older witch, "Dora will be fine, but she never named one of her kids Nymphadora, did she."

"No, she didn't," Molly assured her as she prepared the tea. Plating a few biscuits she placed everything on the able and sat down across from her and said pleasantly, "So what did you want to talk about?" as she sipped her tea.

Tonks got a frown on her face, "That's the thing Molly. In a sense, I'm not really sure. It's just that something has been troubling me and I don't know who to talk to about it."

"Well tell me and we'll see what we can come up with," Molly replied.

Taking a deep breath, Tonks hesitated for a moment before beginning. "It's just that I feel something is wrong. It's like I'm trying to remember something important and just when I think it's going to pop into my head it slips away. It's just so damn frustrating!"

"I imagine," Molly said in agreement. She looked at the young woman sympathetically, "Can you associate anything with it?"

"What do you mean?" Tonks asked.

"I mean are there any thoughts going through your head, just before or just after you have this feeling come over you?"

"I'm-m, not sure," Tonks said slowly. "If I could just remember!"

"The harder you try, the worse it will get," Molly said, with a chuckle.

Tonks took several deep breaths,slowly exhaling each one, she let her eyes drift shut and just tried to relax, emptying her mind and letting what may come to her.

Molly waited patiently, and let Tonks take her time. She saw Tonks' head make slight movements and she could see her eyes moving under her closed eyelids.

"What are you seeing?" Molly whispered.

"It's kind of jumbled," Tonks said softly.

"Don't try and put any order to it, just tell me what is flashing into your mind."

"Something to do with Privet Drive," Tonks said lowly.

Molly's heart caught in her throat, eyes widening at what Tonks had said.

"And somehow Minerva keeps popping up, but I don't know why," Tonks said in frustration. She opened her eyes and shook her head morosely. "It just doesn't come together, it's like there is a hole there or something."

Tonks took a sip of her tea and looked sheepishly at Molly. "I shouldn't say anything, but, well Professor Dumbledore didn't say not to."

"What's that dear?" Molly asked, masking her growing sense of panic.

Tonks' eyes darted around the room, as if looking for hidden listeners. "Harry Potter is missing," she said conspiratorially. "Please don't say anything, Albus is trying desperately to track him down. He's enlisted the aid of Mad-eye and wants me to keep a ear open at the Ministry."

Molly breathed a sigh of relief and hoped that Tonks didn't notice any change in her demeanour.

Luckily, Tonks didn't notice the look of relief that flashed over Molly's face. "I was helping keep watch at Harry's Aunt and Uncle's house. I never did see him this year. Anyway, Albus finally came and checked on Harry, well actually the wards to begin with." She took another sip of tea, before continuing, "He and I went and talked to the Aunt and she told us that someone had come and had her sign papers giving up her rights to Harry."

"Did they say who it was?" Molly asked, hoping that she would say no.

"No, they were most uncooperative, glad to be rid of Harry by all accounts," Tonks said compassionately. "Poor kid, I can't believe Albus had him raised there to begin with."

"Why's that?" Molly asked, wondering what Tonks thought about Harry's prior situation.

"I wouldn't wish that family on anyone," Tonks said with disgust. "They are without a doubt the worst of the worst when it comes to Muggles who hate the Wizarding World. I don't think you could come up with a more loathsome family of Muggles if you tried."

Molly sensed Tonks' underlying feelings of sympathy towards Harry and his situation and she wondered how deep that it actually went and if she might be a possible ally. For now all she could do was try to calm the young Auror and talk to Minerva.

"Trust me Dora, I promise I won't say a word to anyone, it will be out little secret," Molly said, softly.

Tonks flashed her a wan smile, "Thanks Molly, I'm just glad that I have someone to talk to. Things have been a little tense with Mum of late, she was really unhappy when I moved out and got a place of my own."

Molly sighed, "I know what she must be feeling though, I mean when Bill and Charlie graduated and started their own lives it was tough. Though with Charlie going to the Dragon Preserve in Romania and Bill off to Egypt for Gringott's it was a little different. Their jobs took them away and you are right here still in England working at the Ministry."

I know Molly, but I just felt I needed to get out on my own," Tonks said, a little defensively.

Molly gave a chuckle, "Don't misunderstand me, as a woman who was young once myself, I completely understand, but as a mother I can see your mother's viewpoint too."

Tonks gave a laugh, "It's funny, when I was still at Hogwarts I couldn't wait to graduated, now that I am, I sometimes wish I was back there, carefree and the only thing I had to worry about was the next exam coming up."

Molly laughed heartily too, "Don't I know it. Trust me, there have been times when I thought the same thing."

Tonks finished her tea and glanced at the clock, "Well I've taken up enough of your time, I really should be going."

They rose together and Molly went and took Tonks into a hug, "Just remember dear, you're always welcome here."

"Thanks Molly, I can't tell you how much that means to me," Tonks said lowly, returning Molly's hug.

Molly watched as Tonks made her way to the Apparation point and saw her disappear. Sighing she grabbed a piece of parchment and jotted down a quick note to Minerva, saying she need to talk to her. She climbed up the stairs to Harry's room where she found Hedwig.

"Hey girl, can I have you deliver a message for me?" she asked pleasantly. Harry had told her that she was welcome to use Hedwig at any time but she still felt it was polite to ask the Owl if she would.

Hedwig, shook out her wings and looked back at Molly who got the distinct impression that it was definitely OK with her, after all that was one of her primary jobs.

After taking the message, Hedwig hopped to the windowsill and with one last glance back at Molly, she launched herself out the window and swung north towards McGonagall's Castle.

Molly watched her till she was out of sight, wondering what Minerva would think about Dora becoming an ally.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Harry and Ginny were sitting on the end of the small dock of the pond, their shoes off and pant legs rolled up so that they could put their feet in the cool water.

They were idly talking, just enjoying being together, something they felt more and more at ease doing. Sometimes doing nothing more than exchanging shy glances and smiles.

Harry loved the way the sunlight turned Ginny's hair into a halo of fire that surrounded her face, making her look very beautiful.

Ginny could feel Harry's growing sense of happiness as he looked at her. At first it embarrassed her quite a bit but she was getting use to it and it actually made her feel happy too.

They both had laid back, turning their faces towards one another, just enjoying the warm sun along with the cool water. Ginny didn't think she'd ever felt as contented and happy as she was at that very moment.

She let her thoughts drift where they may and as she stared up into the sky, a twisting cloud brought a flash-back of the Basilisk down in the Chamber. She gave a small shudder and before she could say anything, Harry sent, _"Are you OK, Ginny?" _his thoughts full of concern for her.

"It's OK, Harry," she said. "That cloud reminded me of the Basilisk and made me think about the Chamber."

She glanced over at him, "Harry, will you tell me something?" she asked quite seriously.

Harry rolled onto his side, facing Ginny, propping his head on his hand and elbow, "Of course you can Ginny, I'll always answer your questions."

"Why did you come down into the Chamber after me?" she asked softly, having a hard time keeping her eyes locked on his.

Harry considered her question carefully, wondering if there was more to it than what she was really asking. Keeping his eyes firmly on her he said, "It was the right thing to do," he replied softly.

He sighed, "That and something more. . . . I don't know, it was like I just knew I had to. I mean Dumbledore was gone, McGonagall and the other Professors didn't seem to want to listen to us. Heck we had to force Lockhart at wand point, he was going to run away."

Ginny listened intently, hanging on ever word. She really had never heard what was going on while she was down in the Chamber, fighting for her life.

Harry gave a small chuckle, "Though it was the first time I ever saw Ron really concerned about you."

Ginny made a face, "I bet if it wasn't for you Harry, Ron wouldn't have done anything."

Harry shrugged, "I don't know Ginny. By that time we were just going on instinct. I mean, at least I felt there wasn't a moment to lose. I had the compulsion to get to you as fast as possible."

Ginny got a very thoughtful look on her face. "Do you think that means that the Bond was already there?"

Harry got a surprised look on his face, "I never really thought about that before," he said.

Ginny could see Harry thinking hard, a slight frown on his face. "Looking back, I wonder. . . . I mean I noticed you when you arrived at King's Cross Station my first year, you and your family."

Ginny blushed slightly, remembering how she reacted when the Twins had said the boy they had helped was none other than Harry Potter.

Harry noticed Ginny blush, but he choose not to draw attention to the fact. "Then I watched as you told your Mum you wanted to go on the train and see me."

Ginny's eyes locked on Harry's and she blushed even deeper.

"And then you followed the train as far as you could until you ran out of platform."

"You really did notice me," Ginny said in a whisper.

It was Harry's turn to blush, "Yeah I did Ginny. There was just something about you that seemed to draw me to you."

Ginny reached out slowly and brushed Harry's cheek with her fingers, smiling at him as she did so.

"Then when I arrived at the Burrow before school started this past year, I couldn't help but notice how nervous you got every time you were near me," he whispered back to her, his face breaking out into a smile as he did.

"I just seemed to turn into a blithering idiot every time I saw you," Ginny said, softly.

Harry took a hold of Ginny's hand and held it against his cheek, relishing the softness of her fingertips, feeling their warmth against his skin.

"I felt my stomach do flip-flops, every time you came near too," Harry said with a smile.

Harry lightly brushed his lips across Ginny's fingers and he felt her give a small shudder. "So to answer your question, maybe that was the Bond showing itself. I don't really know, I just know that I couldn't be happier than I am now, being here with you and your family. But especially you Ginny."

Ginny found her heart pounding and her feelings for Harry seemed to intensify, she had to shut her eyes for a moment as her senses seemed to get overwhelmed.

Things seemed to shift and Ginny felt better and happier. Her eyes opened and she saw Harry staring at her. "Thank you Harry," she whispered.

"For what?"

Ginny giggled, "I'm not quite sure but I felt I needed to say it." She contemplated his question for a moment. "I guess for being who you are. For saving me when you didn't have to. For being noble enough to do what was right when others tried to stop you. For being there for me, not only in the Chamber but also the other night when I had my nightmare. What I'm trying to say is, thank you for being you."

Harry didn't know what to say, they just lay there staring into each others eyes, smiling and feeling the wonderful emotions that were bouncing back and forth between them.

Suddenly, the moment was broken when they heard Molly calling from the direction of the garden. "Ginny, Harry, where are you?"

Harry rose and extended his hand to help Ginny rise. They smiled at each other, grabbed their shoes and socks and started walking back towards the house, hand in hand, both feeling as happy as they had ever felt before.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Ron watched Harry out the window, frowning at him as he studied Harry's new clothes. He looked down at what he was wearing and silently cursed the fates that seemed to favour Harry.

He couldn't understand why Harry got new clothes when all he had ever gotten was hand-me-downs from his brothers. Sighing he flopped down on his bed and stared at the ceiling.

Part of him knew deep down that he should be happy for Harry. He had seen what Harry had been forced to wear at his relatives, most pieces contained enough cloth for two or three pieces of clothing Harry's size.

The problem was the part that seemed to be the loudest, didn't care what Harry had been subject to and forced to wear. It yelled out that why couldn't he have what Harry had. He had also seen the new dress robes that Ginny had gotten, and he seethed at that too.

That fact bothered him almost as much Harry's acquiring his new clothing. He keep repeating in his mind, Harry and Ginny! Ginny and Harry! They seemed to be getting special treatment at every turn.

As his anger rose, Ron couldn't remain still, he sprung to his feet, and began to pace in his room. The longer he paced, the more his anger rose and as he came to the end of one circuit, he kicked a stack of old Quidditch magazines and shouted, "It's just not bloody fair!"

He spun around in surprise when he heard behind him, "What's not fair?"

Standing in the doorway were Fred and George, looking at him questioningly.

Ron frowned and said sullenly, "Nothing," as he sat back down in his bed.

George looked at Fred, "Do you believe that, brother?"

Fred shook his head, "Not in the slightest," he replied.

Ron just continued to glare at the Twins, doing nothing to dispel their suspicion that something was really wrong.

Knowing Ron as they did, the Twins separated slightly and continued to stare at Ron.

Ron's eyes kept flitting back and forth between Fred and George, his anger growing by the minute as their concentrated stares began to work on his composure.

Ron finally cracked, "Fine! I'll tell you what's wrong! Harry "Bloody" Potter, that's what's the matter!"

Fred and George looked at each other before looking back at Ron. "What the bloody hell are you talking about?" George asked.

"Oh come on! You can't tell me you haven't noticed him and Ginny getting all kinds of special treatment," Ron spat out bitterly. "Did you see him strutting around in all his new clothes?"

Fred and George looked at him not believing what they were hearing. "Ron, you can't be serious," Fred said.

"I can't believe you're actually saying that," George added, shaking his head.

Not getting any support from the Twins, Ron scowled at them. "Sure! Take his side!"

Fred's looked at Ron incredulously, "What! Ron, you are totally losing it," he said, shaking his head.

Ron's face began to turn a deeper shade of red, "You. . . he. . . Ginny," he sputtered.

"Make sense, Ron," George said with a chuckle, which did nothing to calm Ron down.

Ron stared at the Twins, each in turn, "You mean it doesn't bother you that Harry has only been here a short time and has gotten all new clothes, gets to take liberties with Ginny and everything."

Fred and George looked at Ron seriously, "No Ron, it doesn't bother us," said Fred.

Did you see what he was forced to wear?" asked George, looking intently at his younger brother.

"I. . . well, yeah, but that doesn't mean he should get all new stuff, does it?"

"I just don't understand you Ron. You're supposed to be Harry's best mate but I can't see it," Fred said, sadly.

"Yeah Ron, I'd think you'd be happy for Harry and Ginny," George added.

"We almost lost Ginny and if it wasn't for Harry, we'd have never got her back," Fred said.

Fred must have struck a never, because Ron's anger became somewhat subdued. He sat down on the edge of his bed, his head in his hands, with his elbows resting on his knees.

"Little Bro, you need to really think about what you are doing and what it is you're risking," George said as he rose. His eyes meet with Fred's, who nodded at him.

"Listen Ron, this past year was a horror for Ginny and we think that anything that will help her is OK with us. We feel guilty that we didn't realize something was up. You use to be her best friend, why didn't you welcome her into your circle of friends when she started school?" Fred pressed.

Ron got very quiet, not meeting his brother's eyes and they could tell he was quite embarrassed.

"I think I know the reason, don't I?" George said pointedly.

Ron's eyes flitted to George's but he didn't say anything as he frowned.

"You didn't want to share Harry with her, did you?" George said.

"You wanted to be able to lord it over her that you were friends with the "Great" Harry Potter," Fred added, his vice dripping with disdain.

They watched as Ron paled, his eyes darting around the room, as if he wanted to look anywhere but into their eyes.

"You knew that since she was a baby that she had a crush on Harry Potter, and you thought that you could make her jealous because you were his friend and she wasn't," George stated.

"Are we getting warm?" asked Fred.

"Just leave me alone," Ron finally said sullenly.

"Oh! Now there's a snappy comeback, isn't Fred?" said George.

"To right brother," snorted Fred.

"Bugger off," snapped Ron.

The Twins stood, "Ron, you need to get over yourself and remember you're part of a family," George said softly.

"We love you Ron, but you're acting like a prat," Fred said.

Ron just stared at the floor, so the Twins just shook their heads and left a sullen Ron to think on what they had said.

**XX HP + GW XX**

**A/N: Just wanted to get this posted so I can finish your Christmas present. Look for a special Christmas story to be posted late Christmas Eve / Christmas Morning.**

**As always, your reviews are what make this all worthwhile for me.**

**Merry Christmas,**

**Steve**


	10. Battle of Wills : The Beginning

**Harry and Ginny: A Love Story**

**Chapter 10: Battle of Wills-The beginning**

The next few days were very idyllic for Harry and Ginny. Late every night after everyone was asleep, Ginny would sneak over and sleep with Harry. At first they had been a little worried, but as the nights past and no one discovered them, they became more at ease.

They had both noticed Ron's sullen attitude whenever they were around him but they figured there was nothing they could do so they just chose to ignore him.

They thing that surprised them the most was the extra attention that the Twins seemed to be giving them. Of course they had said that they were going to take Harry and Ginny under their wings and teach them about the finer points of pranking.

They waited for the right moment when most people were either busy or off doing something and pulled Harry and Ginny into their room. They sat the young couple down and pulled up a easel with a large pad on it.

Fred grabbed a large pointer as George began to speak. "The thing to remember for a great prank is that the object of said prank needs to be oblivious before the action starts. Here subterfuge is your best friend.

Fred flipped over the first page and there was a stick drawing of several people, one was pointing to one side and the second was looking where he was pointing, while the third slipped something into the second one's drink.

Here is an example of subterfuge. Notice the misdirection provided by the decoy. By drawing the attention of the mark, the assistant can slip the object of the prank into the mark's drink.

Harry and Ginny were giggling at the crude drawing and the manner in which the Twins were giving their presentation.

"One thing the perpetrator needs is a good avenue of escape, or a good reason for being in the vicinity of the mark," George continued.

While George was talking, Fred pulled out a old folded piece of parchment.

"Now as our apprentices, you need to swear never to reveal any information we are going to pass on to you until such time as you take on apprentices of your own," George said very seriously.

He stared at Harry and Ginny who both said "I swear."

"OK, good. We are now going to reveal to you one of the secrets of our great success at Hogwarts," George said with a flourish. Stepping aside and motioning to Fred.

"I present to you the Marauder's Map," he said, as he laid out the piece of parchment.

When Harry and Ginny looked at them questioningly, George said, "You need to know the Magic words."

Fred smiled as he took his wand and tapped the map, "I solemnly swear I am up to no good!"

As Harry and Ginny stared at the parchment, a series of lines began to flow out from where the wand had struck. With a quickening speed it became a map, and such a map it was.

"That's Hogwarts," Ginny said in awe.

Harry though was staring at the top where writing materialized. At first he was smiling just like Ginny, in awe of the map before them but then slowly his face took on a much more shocked and troubled look.

Ginny was reading the text out loud, Messr's Mooney, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs are proud to present the Marauder's Map." She hesitated as she felt the change come over Harry.

"_What's wrong, Harry?" _she sent, worriedly.

Harry didn't answer, his eyes fixed on the words, his face paling and the room began to swim in his vision.

"Harry!" Ginny called out, panicking as Harry began to hyperventilate.

At first Fred and George teased Harry, "I know it's impressive Harry, but come on now." Fred said.

By now Harry was shaking and sweat was pouring down his face. Ginny quickly grabbed him and turned him toward her. "Harry? What is it?" she asked, with great concern,

Harry was lost in his memories, of being with his parents and a couple of their friends. He was on a children's broom, zooming around the living room, one of the men was sitting on the couch laughing while the other two were chasing Harry.

"Padfoot, watch out for that lamp!" one shouted.

"Don't worry Prongs, I've got it covered." the one with the long wavy dark hair replied.

The one on the couch was laughing so hard, he fell to the floor. "Some help you are Moony," Prongs said, laughing as he watched him roll around, "Some great Uncles you two are!"

Harry's eyes slowly came back into focus, and he looked at Ginny who was kneeling over him. "I must have fallen," he thought as he stared up at a very concerned looking Ginny. He became aware that tears were rolling down his cheeks.

"What's the matter Harry?" Ginny said softly to him.

Shakily Harry sat up, wiping his face as he did so. George handed him a glass of water, "OK there, Harry?" he asked solicitously.

Harry nodded and took a drink of the water. "Sorry," he said softly. "I. . . I had a memory flash into my head."

"What was it Harry?" Ginny asked.

Harry's eyes took on a far away look. "It was me as a toddler. I was on a kid's broom, and there were three men with me." He looked into Ginny's eyes, his own filled with anguish. "One was my dad and one of the others called him Prongs. My dad called the one who said that, Padfoot. They were chasing me around a living room and the other one was rolling around laughing, they called him Moony. He called them my uncles."

By now he had everyone's deepest attention and they were looking at him in awe.

"We've heard rumours of a group called the Marauders at School and from what we've been able to find out the time frame is about right for one of them to have been your dad," George said, lowly.

They had all ended up sitting on the floor in a loose circle, Ginny sitting by Harry and gently running her fingers through his hair.

"Wow," Fred said softly, "To meet the son of one of the Marauders."

Harry looked at Ginny, his eyes pleading with her, "_I'd like to go lay down for a while," _he sent morosely.

"_OK Harry," _Ginny replied, smiling wanly at him.

"Fred, George, I think we've had enough for today," she said softly.

Fred and George both nodded, "OK Ginny, we can understand that."

They looked at Harry as Ginny helped him rise. "We didn't know Harry, it must have come as a huge shock," Fred said.

"Yeah, Harry. We never expected anything like this to happen," added George.

"It's OK guys," Harry said with a weak smile. "I know there is no way you could have know. It was just a shock to have that flash back and remember that."

George took his wand and tapped the map saying, "Mischief Managed" and they watched as the map faded away.

Ginny and Harry left the sad looking Twins, something that they had hoped would be fun certainly hadn't turned out that way. She led Harry back to his room where she sat him down, removed his trainers and gently pushed him back onto the bed. She then removed her own shoes and joined him, where they cuddled close.

Ginny could feel Harry's mind in turmoil and she sent encouraging and supportive thoughts his way.

"Thanks Ginny," he whispered, as he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.

Ginny watched Harry sleep for a while, at least now his mind was at peace and she felt him dreaming about something happy and that made her smile.

Little did she know that Harry's dream was of her and how much he liked the fact that she seemed to take care of him so well.

Again as if she could somehow convey to him how deeply she cared while he slept, Ginny ran her fingers through his fringe, both giving and taking comfort from the simple act.

Slowly as she watched her eyes became heavy and she finally succumbed and fell asleep with Harry.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Fred and George made their way down into the kitchen, both having had an inner fight with what to do and say about Harry to their Mum. While they wanted to protect their greatest asset they knew that what Harry had experienced was something that Molly needed to know. They just hoped that she wouldn't press too hard on some of the details.

They found Molly in the kitchen, starting the dough for that evenings bread and pausing for a moment to settle themselves, they got drinks and sat at the table.

"Hey Mum," Fred said. "We'd like to have a word with you."

Molly eyes the Twins and she could see the worried looks on their faces. Though they were certainly the biggest trouble makers in the family, they did have a firm sense of right and wrong and never ceased to amaze her with their capacity to do what was right in almost every situation.

"What is it boys?" She asked as she covered the dough for it's first rise.

"Mum, we need to tell you something but we don't want to reveal all the details," Fred said.

"Somethings are just better left unsaid," added George.

Molly looked from one to the other and she saw their sincerity. As in the past she decided to let the boys tell as much as they wanted, and she'd only press for more details if she felt it was absolutely necessary. She wanted to keep them coming to her when it was important and not let little things prevent them from doing so.

She knew she was probably taking a risk, but better to have them come to her than drive them away by focusing on the minutia that didn't have any meaning in the greater scheme of things.

"OK, boys, what's up?"

"Earlier we were talking with Harry and Ginny," George began. "The details of which aren't really that important."

"While we were having this conversation we happened to show something to Harry which triggered a flash-back to his childhood. Something from when his parents were still alive." added Fred.

"It really seemed to shake him up and we're concerned about him Mum," George said, softly.

"We didn't have any idea that showing him this. . .thing, would cause such a reaction," Fred said, looking at Molly, his face full of his concern.

"It's something we've had for a while and never had any problem with it," George said. "It seems that it may have belonged to his father at one point."

Molly looked from one son to the other, "What you're saying is the object itself isn't the cause of the problem, it was because he could identify it as having belonged to his father was the issue."

Fred and George exchanged looks, "Not precisely Mum," Fred offered.

"It was something he read that triggered the memory that he told us about, not the object itself," George said lowly.

Molly nodded, "What happened then?" she asked.

"Well Harry kind of fainted or something, I think he was caught up in the memory," George stated.

"He fell to the floor but his eyes were still open, but not seeing us, if you get my meaning," Fred said.

"Do you think if he sees this thing again that he will have the same reaction?" Molly asked, her face frowning in concentration.

Fred and George exchanged glances again, and Molly couldn't help but smile. Though what the Twins had was remarkable, she knew it wasn't anything like what Harry and Ginny were experiencing.

"We doubt it Mum," said Fred.

"We think it was just the shock from this thing triggering the memory and him being unprepared for it," George added.

The Twins watched anxiously while their mother contemplated what they had told her.

With a nod and a smile, Molly said "Thanks for telling me this boys, though you have me curious what you could have that may have once been Harry's father's, it's more important to know what happened to Harry that press for more details."

The Twins relaxed, "Mum, if we thought what it is, was that important, we'd tell you," said George.

"Yeah, Mum, we would, but we are pretty sure what it is has no bearing on what happened, it was more the information that it contained that was the trigger," Fred added with a small smile.

"OK, again, thanks for coming to me. Where is Harry now?"

"Ginny took him back to his room,"said Fred.

"He said he wanted to lay down for a while," George added.

Molly glanced compulsively up stairs, as if she could see through the ceiling. She nodded at the Twins and rose, going to the stairs and made her way to Harry's room.

The door was partially open and she peeked inside. There on the bed she saw Harry and Ginny cuddled together, both sound asleep, Ginny holding Harry in her arms in a loving embrace.

Molly was taken by the picture of serenity that the two children made. She couldn't help but smile as she watched them for several moments. She backed out of the room, quietly shutting the door as she withdrew, knowing that rest right now was probably the best medicine for Harry.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Minerva McGonagall glanced once more at the note that Molly had sent to her. Some pressing business having to do with the estate had kept her from going to visit the Weasley household for several days but no that things had been taken care of she wanted to get there and discuss things with Molly and Arthur.

She smiled at their continued good fortune of having people and things favour keeping Harry's location a secret. She knew that at some point Albus would find out, but she figured it was a good thing for him to worry for a while because of what he had made Harry endure by living with his Aunt and Uncle.

She got her things together and calling her head elf, Banter, she prepared to leave.

"What may I do's for Mistress?" Banter asked with a bow.

"I am dining with the Weasleys this evening, and can be reached there if needed. But remember please don't let anyone know where I have gone," she said with a smile.

"Of course Mistress," the old elf said with a bow.

"Thank you, faithful friend. Now I must really be going or I'm going to be late," Minerva said with a chuckle.

She left the Manor house and made her way outside the wards. She was Apparating because it couldn't be traced, where the Floo network was logged whenever some one used it and though the chances were small that it would be noticed, she didn't want to take any chances where Harry's well being was concerned.

The family was just assembling for dinner when Minerva arrived and she had to stifle a laugh as she watched Ron's face when he noticed his head of house enter the kitchen.

He got a very nervous look and began to act like he was at school and she was going to dock him points for something. She also found it hard not to roll her eyes when Percy came over to her and very pompously shook her hand and welcomed her to the Burrow.

The Twins were another thing all together, they acted like she was one of the family, just saying hi and going about getting drinks on the table as dinner time approached.

"Where are Harry and Ginny," she asked, seeing everyone else.

"I guess they're still up stairs," Molly replied. Turning to Ron, she said "Will you please go and tell them that dinner is ready?"

"Why do I have to go get them?" Ron asked, frowning at his mother.

"Because I asked you too," Molly replied a bit put out with her youngest son.

When Ron hesitated, a scowl on his face, George said, rolling his eyes at his younger brother, "Never mind Ron, I'll go."

"Thank you George," Molly said, smiling at George.

"It's nothing Mum, really," George replied, his eyes resting on Ron for a moment.

Ron, hung his head under the look from George and he received disapproving looks from Molly, Arthur and Percy. Percy looked at him with a most distasteful look.

Minerva just sat there taking in the scene and she wondered about Ron's behaviour. He seemed to be having a very hard time handling having Harry there. She had just as hard a time understanding it as Molly and Arthur were. Harry and he seemed to get along so well the past two years at school, being virtually inseparable. She gave a sigh, just one more obstacle to over come.

**XX HP + GW XX**

George made his way to Harry's door and knocked softly. He was a little surprised when he heard a soft "Come in."

He opened the door and found Harry and Ginny sitting up in the bed, it appeared they had been talking. They looked at him expectantly.

"Mum sent me to get you for dinner," he said, taking a good look at Harry. To George, Harry looked much better but he still appeared sad. He gave him an encouraging smile.

"How you doing, Harry?" he asked as he came closer.

Harry gave him a small smile, "A bit better," he replied.

George still felt bad for what had happened, "I'm so sorry, Harry," he said softly, his voice dripping with regret.

Harry's smile dimmed a little, "George, you and Fred had no way of knowing, I didn't even know. It was a memory buried away that the names brought to the surface. I don't blame you. In hind sight, you've given me something I didn't have before. The memory is actually a happy one, where they are all laughing and having a good time."

George nodded, "I'm glad it's a happy memory, you deserve it." Then with a smile he said, "Come on you two, or Mum will be yelling at us."

Ginny giggled slightly, then she turned to Harry and gave him a hug. "Feeling better?" she asked.

Harry nodded, the smile returning to his face and though he still had an air of melancholy about him, it was much diminished from before.

They made their way down to the kitchen, George in the lead with Harry and Ginny right behind, hand-in-hand. When George stepped out of the way, Harry saw Minerva.

"Hi Aunt Minerva," he said with a smile, and then he and Ginny made their way to where she was sitting and he gave her a big hug. Most everyone was surprised because Harry usually was very reticent about physical contact.

Even more surprising to most of the Weasleys was Ginny doing the same thing after Harry was finished. They then sat down, Harry next to Minerva and Ginny on his other side.

Molly and Arthur had been watching Ron closely and neither was please by what they saw. He had a perpetual scowl on his face and he was obviously unhappy with Minerva's presence especially concerning her association with Harry.

Molly was beginning to reach the end of her rope with Ron and if things didn't change soon she was going to have to take a more direct approach in dealing with him.

Dinner actually went pretty well, Harry seemed to come out of the morose mood he was in and he joined in the lively conversation that sprang up. Ron was the only one who didn't participate, preferring to sit quietly and eat as much as he could while frowning at Harry and Ginny.

Molly's meal was spectacular as always and once pudding was served and done, the kids wandered away from the table, that is all but Harry and Ginny. Minerva had asked them to remain as they wanted to have a discussion and they wanted Harry's input.

They adjourned to the parlour where Harry and Ginny sat side-by-side on the smaller of the two couches. Once again, holding hands and glancing shyly at one another.

They were surprised when Arthur cast a privacy charm so that they could not be over heard.

Minerva sat close to Harry and Ginny and smiled at them as she began. "Harry, we would like your input and thoughts on maybe approaching someone to help us keep you safe."

Harry nodded but didn't say anything, he was looking at the three adults, trying to get a feel for what they were thinking.

"Do you remember the young Auror we met when we where in Diagon Alley?"

"Yes, Aunt Minerva," he answered softly.

"What was your impression of her?"

"She seemed very nice, though I found her hair a bit much," he said with a smile. This elicited a giggle from Ginny and though the discussion was on the serious side, the adults didn't want it to be a frightening or negative experience, and they smiled at her reaction.

"Yes, I find it a bit much too, bright pink isn't my favourite colour," Minerva replied, with a grin.

"Well, we think she might be a possible ally and wondered if you had any objections," she asked, with a smile.

Harry glanced at Ginny, "_What do you think?" _Harry sent to Ginny.

Ginny looked thoughtful for a moment, "_I think she would be a good person to get on our side," _Ginny sent back.

"_I agree," _Harry replied, "_There is just something about her that speaks to me."_

"_Do I need to worry about competition?" _Ginny sent playfully.

Harry smirked at her, "_You know better,"_ he replied.

"_I know, but I have to tease you about something,"_ she replied with a grin.

The three adults watch with amusement as Harry and Ginny sat there looking at one another, obviously having a mind speak conversation, their faces reflecting their emotions as they did so.

Harry finally turned to Minerva, "We're fine with that, Aunt Minerva."

"OK, Harry. I also have another question for you. Would you like to have your birthday party here or at McGonagall manor?"

Harry looked around, first taking in the room, then he looked at Arthur and Molly's faces, finally turning to Ginny.

"_It's fine if you want to have it at Aunt Minerva's manor Harry, I'm sure it's much nicer than here," _Ginny said encouragingly.

Harry smiled at her, "_Thanks for your opinion Ginny, but I feel that I'd rather have my first birthday as a member of this family here at my home,"_ Harry sent with a smile.

He turned to Minerva, "I don't wish to hurt your feelings or anything, but I really prefer to have it here, Aunt Minerva," he said softly, watching her face closely.

"Harry you aren't hurting my feelings, I just wanted to make the offer, but I can understand why you want to have it here," Minerva replied, She then looked at Molly and Arthur, "Unless Molly or Arthur has anything to talk to you about. . . . "

Both shook their heads.

". . . Then you can leave if you want to, we are going to discuss how to approach Auror Tonks'," Minerva said, with a smile.

"_Do you want to stay?" _Harry asked.

"_No, not really, I'll only stay if you want to," _she sent back.

"_No, that's OK. Lets go find something fun to do," _Harry replied.

"We'll leave all that to you," Harry said to the adults.

Minerva smiled, "I kind of thought you might choose that option," she said.

Harry and Ginny rose and gave everyone hugs before they left, leaving hand-in-hand, smiling at one another, leaving the adults to figure out if Tonks could be recruited as an ally.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Mad-eye sat in the back corner of the Leaky Cauldron, his magical eye scanning the crowd constantly. His companion was a striking person, her Bubblegum Pink hair, drawing the attention of many of the pubs patrons.

Mad-eye took a drink from his mug and set it down forcefully. "So Dumbledore tells me you were there when he arrived to check on Potter," he growled.

"Yeah I was Alastor," Tonks replied.

"What do you think happened to the boy?" he asked, taking a bite of his meal.

Tonks looked uneasy, and hesitated to answer.

"Listen Dora, you know I'd never compromise a confidence you shared with me," he grumbled softly.

With a troubled look she met Moody's eyes, "The truth? I think someone got wind on how poorly his relatives treated him and rescued him from them."

"Hummm," Mad-eye said, as he thought on her statement. "As good a theory as any."

"Better than most, I think," Tonks said testily.

"Easy Dora, I didn't mean to down play your assessment," Moody said, quietly.

"Yeah well, you didn't see that damn family day in and day out," she said darkly. "I mean they called him a freak and worked him like a house elf, without any of the benefits. Plus I'm pretty sure they abused the boy, neglect if nothing else, though I'm pretty sure he was hit on occasion too."

Mad-eye focused his real eye on the young Auror, regarding her shrewdly. "That bad, huh?"

"Yes, Alastor, that bad."

"Dumbledore wants me to find him," Moody said, after a moment.

"Yeah, well I think Harry's better off wherever he is," Tonks said vehemently.

"Hummm," Mad-eye said, as he contemplated her words. "Maybe I won't look so hard," he said with a grin.

Tonks smiled for the first time since meeting her mentor, "I think that's a wonderful thing to do."

"So Dora, tell me the dirt from the MLE," Moody said as he took another drink from his mug.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Ginny glanced out into the Hall, making sure the coast was clear, seeing no one she darted across into Harry's room, who had left his door ajar to make her entry easier.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Ginny shut the door securely behind her and went and crawled into bed with Harry. He was waiting patiently and lifted the covers and sheet to ease her entry into the bed.

"_Thanks, Harry"_ she sent as she snuggled into his side.

"_You're welcome," _ Harry replied, wrapping his arms around her and burying his face into her hair.

Ginny giggled, "_You're strange," _she sent playfully.

"_Why, just because I think you smell wonderful?" _Harry asked.

Ginny hugged Harry tighter, "Yes," she whispered.

"_I think that you would like it that I like how you smell," _Harry sent, smiling.

Ginny blushed, knowing that her approval was flowing across the Bond and Harry knew she was pleased. "_I do and you know it, but I still think you're strange," _she sent, her merriment blazing out to Harry.

"_Then you must be strange too," _Harry sent back.

"_Yup, I don't deny it, just ask any of my brothers," _Ginny replied, her "voice" filled with her laughter.

Ginny heard Harry laugh in her mind and she smiled as she snuggled in tighter, closing her eyes and letting the peaceful feeling of sleeping in Harry's arms sweep over her.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Molly wanted to speak to Ginny about something she wanted help with the next day. She went up to Ginny's room and knocked softly on the door. Getting no response she cautiously opened it and was a little surprised to find her bed empty.

Assuming she had run to the loo, Molly sat down to wait for her daughters return. She idly looked around and smiled when she saw the corner of a book sticking out from under her pillow.

Peeking at the door, she lifted the corner of the pillow and was a little surprised to see one of the trashy Muggle romance novels that she read on occasion. Smiling to herself, she shook her head and put the pillow back in place.

Glancing at the clock, she frowned, it seemed Ginny was taking an inordinate amount of time in the loo, hoping she wasn't ill, Molly made her way up to check.

She was very surprised to meet Fred coming out of the loo. He gave her a funny look and said, "Hey Mum."

She glanced into the loo as Fred went back to his room, though she knew Fred never would have been in there if Ginny was. Bewildered for a moment she headed back down to Ginny's room, thinking maybe she had gone to the kitchen for a drink.

Finding her room still empty, she quickly made her way down stairs to check there and when she didn't find her daughter she almost panicked. Then a light went off inside her head. Taking a deep breath she made her way quietly back up to the landing where Ginny's and Harry's rooms were.

Steeling herself, she slowly turned the doorknob and inched the door open, though she had expected it she was still shocked to see Harry and Ginny sleeping in Harry's bed.

Her heart rate rose and she had to calm herself, not wanting to make a huge scene that would draw anyone else.

She tiptoed over to the bed and gently shook Ginny's shoulder. At first Ginny didn't want to awaken but after a couple more shakes, Molly saw Ginny's eyes open, groggily at first but then she caught sight of her mother and she sat up in fright.

This woke Harry and he also saw Molly standing over the bed, her face a solid mask showing her displeasure.

"_Uh Oh. We're in trouble now," _ Harry sent to Ginny.

"_Shite,"_ Ginny sent, her emotions coming to Harry telling him she was as mad as her mother.

"Mum, you scared me," Ginny said.

Harry saw Molly's eyes widen at the audacity of her daughter. "Ginevra Molly Weasley, go to your room right now." she said, her voice tight, from her controlling her anger.

Ginny sighed and glanced at Harry, her eyes full of sadness as she stood and exited Harry's room.

Molly watched her go, then turned back to Harry. "We'll talk in the morning," she said succinctly.

All Harry could do was nod and as Molly left, shutting the door behind her, Harry flopped back onto the bed, "Oh Godric," he said out loud.

Molly went over to Ginny's room and found her sitting on the edge of the bed. Molly was slightly surprised when Ginny didn't look at all ashamed at being caught in Harry's bed. Far from it, she looked extremely agitated and angry at being sent to her own room.

"Explain yourself," she said lowly.

Ginny's eyes flashed at her mother, "I've been having nightmares and the only place I can get a decent nights sleep is with Harry," she said unapologetically.

"Don't you think you should have consulted me?" Molly asked.

Ginny made a disdainful face, "Would you have said yes?" Ginny said accusingly.

"Certainly not!" answered Molly, indignantly.

"Now you know why I didn't ask," Ginny replied smugly.

Molly took a deep breath to calm herself. "Go to sleep, we'll talk in the morning."

"Yes Mother," Ginny retorted, her eyes blazing with her displeasure.

Molly spun around and closed the door behind her as she left. She knew Minerva and Arthur had warned of this happening but actually finding Ginny in Harry's bed shocked Molly more than she wanted to admit.

She entered her bedroom and laid down with Arthur, "What took so long?" he asked innocently.

He heard and felt Molly take a big breath and let it out slowly, and he knew he wasn't going to like her answer.

"I found our daughter sleeping in with Harry," she said as calmly as she could.

"Oh Dear," Arthur said. "What did you do?"

"I sent Ginny back to her own room and told both of them we'd have a talk in the morning."

Arthur sighed, "Very astute of you my dear, best not to alert the whole house tonight."

Molly turned into her husband's side, "Oh Arthur, I felt like an Ogre separating them, they looked so peaceful and angelic sleeping together."

All Arthur could do was shake his head and wonder about the thought process of women.

Up stairs, Ginny waited fuming in her bed for a full five minutes and then she got up very quietly. She once again slowly and stealthily opened her door and tiptoed across the hall.

This time she had to take her time and slowly and quietly open Harry's door and slip inside once more. Taking great care she slowly closed the door and as she turned she saw Harry lift the covers again allowing Ginny to slip in and snuggle into him just like before.

She took a deep breath and relaxed now that she was back in Harry's arms and he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and gave her a kiss on the top of her head.

"_Goodnight Ginny," _he sent lovingly.

"_Goodnight Harry,_" Ginny replied, just as lovingly as Harry had.

**XX HP + GW XX**

**A/N: Well the cat's out of the bag, so to speak, but it seems Ginny is going to fight to remain with Harry.**

**As always, please review.**


	11. Battle of Wills: The First Salvos

**Harry and Ginny: A Love Story**

**Chapter 11: Battle of Wills-The First Salvoes**

Ginny awoke feeling refreshed and happy. She felt Harry's arm around her as she snuggled into his side, her head on his shoulder and his cheek resting against the top of her head.

Sighing, she knew this was going to be a difficult day, and probably the first of many. She and Harry were adamant that they would sleep together from now on.

The difficult thing was convincing her parents that they were serious about it, wouldn't be dissuaded and would do anything to make sure that they were together.

Ginny couldn't see what the problem was, they were as good as married in the eyes of the Ministry. They were Bonded and as far as Ginny was concerned that was all the reason required to allow them to be together.

Ginny felt Harry stir and she smiled as he became awake, his thoughts full of his happiness and Love for her. Both knew that they were sleeping much better now that they were sleeping in the same bed.

That was one of the things that irritated Ginny the most, it wasn't like they were doing anything but sleeping, other than a chaste good night kiss now and then. Neither had any inclination to do anything more at this point.

Ginny was sure that her Mum had lost sight of the fact that they were still only eleven and twelve, and if she was forced to admit it, OK almost twelve and thirteen, but still they were too young to think about doing anything more.

Harry could feel Ginny's agitation and he knew immediately what the source was. "Think we'll get to eat breakfast before they talk to us?" Harry sent, his mood light and humorous.

Ginny chuckled, she knew where Harry was going with his thoughts, "I know, the condemned get a last meal before going to face the executioner."

"Too Right!" agreed Harry. He wasn't concerned about the coming confrontation. He could feel Ginny's calm demeanor and her conviction not to be denied what she thought was right.

He was sure in the past he would have been terrified of something like the coming confrontation with his guardians. But he knew that was before he had Bonded and that made a huge difference.

Ginny could feel Harry's calm acceptance of what was to come and it further strengthened her resolve. Together they would face anyone and anything that tried to keep them apart, even if it was her parents.

Ginny gave Harry a strong hug, luxuriating in the warmth it filled her with both physically and spiritually. She felt Harry returning her hug just as fervently and his matching emotions. She couldn't even remember what it was like not be Bonded.

So strong was the imperative to be together that it was a totally foreign thing to even contemplate being separate, and to Ginny, alone, no matter if someone was right next to you it wasn't anything like the feeling of being Bonded.

Ginny sat up and stretched her arms above her head, smiling as she did so as she greeted the coming day.

Harry watched Ginny stretch and he liked what he saw. It seemed to him that Ginny's body was changing almost day by day. She certainly looked like she had more curves on her now than when they had gone shopping with Aunt Minerva just a few short weeks ago.

Ginny felt Harry's eyes on her and she smiled at the wonderful emotions she was getting from him. "What's up, Harry?" she asked, turning to face him.

Harry gulped and felt extremely nervous. Even though they were Bonded, Harry was still only twelve and he felt like he got caught red handed, sneaking a peek at something he really shouldn't be looking at.

Ginny felt his embarrassment and giggled at him. "_Harry! We're a couple now. There is no reason to be embarrassed by looking at me."_

Harry smiled shyly, "_ I understand that logically, Ginny, but for some reason it doesn't want to sink in."_

Ginny shook her head at him, not believing his reaction.

Harry smiled at her cheekily, "_Are you telling me if you caught me getting dressed and I was either partially clothed or not clothed at all, you wouldn't be embarrassed in the slightest?"_

As much as Ginny wanted to deny it, she knew her face was giving her away. She could feel her face and neck burn and she once again cursed the fact that she was a pale redhead.

Harry chuckled and couldn't help but smile as he felt Ginny's embarrassment at his suggestion.

Ginny shook her head and smiled ruefully at him, "C_ome on Harry, I'm only eleven, you know, no curves."_

"_You may be only eleven Ginny, but you need to take a good look at yourself. You're getting curves."_

Ginny looked down at her nightgown and was surprised to see two small but distinct peaks jutting out from her torso, making her dressing gown stand out away from her body.

Harry felt her surprise and he couldn't help but grin at her, "And that's not the only place you're getting curves."

Ginny got up and walked over to the large mirror hung on the closet door, looking intently at her figure. She was holding her gown a couple of different ways, seeing how her hips had begun to flare out a little as did her bum.

Harry took great delight in watching as Ginny twisted and turned, holding her gown tight to different parts of her anatomy and couldn't help but smile with and at her.

He was totally taken by her silhouette, as she was looking at herself. He could feel her surprise when she reached the same conclusion as Harry did. This left her with a bit of a dilemma as the one she would normally speak with was mad at her right this minute.

Well that couldn't be helped, she wasn't going to compromise her position concerning her and Harry and there wasn't any reason for her to change it as far as she could see.

"I see what you mean," Ginny said, a bit perplexed by what was happening. "But that doesn't change how I feel about things, I'm still only eleven and you're only twelve," she said.

"Well we won't solve anything waiting up here, I'm going to go get dressed and I'll meet you back here and we can go down together," Ginny explained, the smile returning to her.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Molly was sitting down in the kitchen, nursing a cup of tea. She was trying to get her thoughts in order for the coming talk with Ginny and Harry.

Taking a big breath, she sighed deeply. She really hoped that after a good nights sleep, Ginny would be much more reasonable, but she knew her daughter could be intractable at times.

Finishing her tea, she prepared herself for going and getting Arthur, Ginny and Harry so that they could get this incident behind them and everything would be OK.

Going up the stairs she entered hers and Arthur's bedroom first and was pleasantly surprised to find Arthur just finishing getting dressed. "I'm glad to see you're up and dressed. I'm on my way to get Ginny and Harry so we can get this business behind us and everything will go back to the way it was," Molly stated, with an air of finality.

Arthur looked at her sceptically, knowing his daughter as well as he did, and looking at the situation without the rose coloured glasses that Molly seemed to be viewing everything with, they were in for a long and protracted battle of wills, Molly's against Ginny's.

Arthur sighed, he really didn't want to be involved at all with the entire thing, but knew he had to be there to support Molly or he'd be sleeping in the shed for months, maybe years, the way Molly was.

If Arthur was a betting man, he certainly would shy away from betting on this contest because he wasn't certain who would be the so called winner and what damage it might do to their relationship with Ginny, Harry or the rest of the family.

Molly had already left to go get Ginny and Harry, so he hurried up to get down stairs before they returned. He sat down at the table after pouring himself a cup of tea, and though he wasn't a drinker, he wished that he could indulge in something a little stronger for the coming confrontation.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Upstairs, Molly was surprised to find Harry's door open. She entered and found Harry sitting calmly on the edge of the bed.

"Since you're ready, why don't you head down to the kitchen," Molly said with a smile.

Harry looked at her stoically, "I told Ginny I'd wait for her here."

"Well, yes, but I'm sure she'll be fine if you head down now," Molly stated.

"I'm sorry, but I told Ginny I'd meet her here and we'd go down together," Harry said, locking eyes with Molly.

Molly was taken aback by Harry's attitude, she didn't see what all the fuss was about. "Now Harry, I'm asking you nicely to head down now. Can you do that for me?"

Harry sighed, but didn't lose his resolve, "I'm truly sorry Mrs. Weasley, but I told Ginny I'd meet her here and we'd go down together," he said, his voice becoming tinged with a edge of steel.

It wasn't the change in demeanour that struck Molly first, it was his use of Mrs. Weasley, when he had become quite comfortable in calling her Molly, more than anything that gave her the first inkling that just maybe, things weren't going to go as smoothly as she hoped.

Before any more words could be exchanged Ginny came into the room, her face already a steely mask, having felt the change in Harry's emotions, she was sure that her Mum must be with him.

Ignoring her Mum, except to shoot an icy stare at her, Ginny came over to Harry and said, "Ready to go down for breakfast?"

"Yes Ginny, I am."

Harry rose and just to make a point to her Mother, Ginny embraced Harry tightly, sharing a warm and wonderful hug right in front of her.

Harry heard Molly take in a deep breath,but was surprised when she didn't comment.

"_First strike goes to us,"_ he sent with his good feelings.

"_I hope that Mum will be reasonable, but it's a slim hope at best. I can tell she's already made up her mind and thinks that will be the end of it," _Ginny sent back, her fiery spirit coming through loud and clear."

Harry and Ginny took each others hand and they preceded Molly out the door and down the stairs into the kitchen.

Molly watched as Ginny and Harry left the room before her. She shook her head slowly, knowing from the look on Ginny's face that this wasn't going to be as easy as she had thought. He daughter had her mind made up and she knew that meant they were in for a long hard battle to get her to change.

Steeling herself for the coming battle, molly marched purposefully down the stairs, following the young couple into the kitchen.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Fred and George had been up for a while and they could tell something was wrong. The thing was that they were so in-tune with the running of the household, the subtle differences in the sounds emanating from the kitchen told them that their Mum was quite upset at someone.

Since she was normally mad at them, they had learned to discriminate the sounds as a means of self-preservation.

"Mum's in a right mood this morning," Fred said.

"Yeah, wonder who she's mad at?" George asked. "We haven't done anything that would have set her off, did we?"

"Nah, I'm sure we'd remember if we had," answered Fred.

"Wonder if she's finally gone off on Ron for his attitude about Ginny and Harry?"

Fred looked thoughtful for a moment, "Nope, too soon, she still has to go through, disapproving stares and long protracted sighs before she gets there," he said seriously.

George contemplated Fred's assessment and began to nod, "Yeah, you're right, she may even throw in a couple of "Wait till your father gets home" or a "Listen, Buster" before she goes off completely." Turning towards his twin he said, "So who do you think it is? Dad?"

Fred shook his head, "No, she usually doesn't bang the kettle so hard when she's mad at him, doesn't want to tip anyone off. Likes to take it to their room were the kiddies won't hear," he said, his voice dripping with his sarcasm.

"That leaves Ginny and Harry, wonder what they have done?" George said, his brow furrowed in deep thought.

"Yeah, I think you're right, but wow, it must really be something the way she's been banging stuff," Fred replied, shaking his head slowly as he too tried to figure out what they could have done to suffer the wrath of their mother.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Harry and Ginny ate in relative peace and quiet. Arthur sitting behind his copy of the Daily Prophet, letting them know he didn't wish to make eye contact. Even Molly left them alone and kept her non-verbal communication to a minimum.

They were just finishing up when the Twins came down the stairs, more awake than they usually were in the morning. Ron was just a few moments behind them, though he was his usual groggy self and barely appeared awake at all.

As they began to sit down, Molly said to them, "I'm sorry boys but you'll have to fend for yourselves this morning, your father and I need to have a little talk with Ginny and Harry."

Ginny saw Fred and George exchange knowing looks with slight smiles on their faces, and she knew it was because they had been speculating about who was in trouble and had come up with the right answer.

Ginny and Harry were just standing when Fred and George gave them encouraging looks and winks as they and Arthur and Molly headed into the parlour.

Ron had a stunned look on his face, having to make his own breakfast! What were things coming to? He eyed the twins hopefully but they just laughed at him and he knew from their looks he had better not even suggest that they cook him breakfast. There was just no knowing what they might do

**XX HP + GW XX**

Harry and Ginny took their accustomed spot on the small couch and watched as Arthur cast the silencing and privacy charms on the door, and it seemed to Harry that it took a bit longer to get them in place.

He wondered if it was because of Arthur's state of mind or because if he was putting more complex spells in place. Not that it mattered to him, he just wanted to get this over with.

He could see Molly's agitation and knew what she thought just by looking at her. The look saddened him, as he couldn't understand why she felt so vehemently about the situation.

Then glancing at Arthur, Harry was surprised a little when he didn't see the same conviction in him, and if someone would have asked, Harry would have had to say that he looked like a man who would have been much happier to be some place else, or any place else for that matter.

If the subject for their meeting wasn't so important to Harry, he might have thought that it was comical, but he knew that wasn't the case and that he and Ginny were going to be subject to some rather stern treatment.

Harry wasn't that concerned, as it was obvious to him that nothing they could do would be worse or even as bad as what he endured at the Dursley's. The only thing that could be worse was if they no longer wanted him and sent him away. He knew he needed to establish that fact first and take things from there.

Arthur took a seat in his usual chair by the fireplace, though he did turn it so he faced them more directly. Molly chose to remain standing for now, much to agitated to sit still.

It was as she was still pacing that Harry struck the first blow, "Mrs. Weasley," he said softly.

When she turned to look at him, she was unprepared for what he asked.

"Are you and Mr. Weasley going to send me away?"

Molly's eyes widened in shock. It had never occurred to her that Harry would be afraid of being sent away and she was angry with herself for not realizing that he would feel that way after the treatment he received from his relatives.

Molly took a deep calming breath, "No Harry, we would never do that. By agreeing to be your guardians we accepted you no matter what. Good or bad, we'll deal with everything, but please be assured that we will never send you away."

"_Harry!_" Ginny sent in surprise. "_Did you see the way you took the wind out of her sails? You definitely turned the table on things."_

"_That wasn't my intention, Ginny. I was really worried that they wouldn't want me to be here any more," _ Harry sent with a touch of sadness.

"_All you needed to do was ask and I could have told you that they wouldn't have done that. They may be strict sometimes, but never cruel and sending you away would fall under the cruel banner," _Ginny sent back, with ever ounce of loving support she could muster.

"_Well, no matter, I got it out in the open, allayed my fears and if I helped our cause, that's just icing on the cake."_

Ginny turned and took Harry into a big hug, "_There is no way I'd let them send you away. If they tried, I go with you wherever you were sent."_

Molly noticed the looks and emotions that swept over Ginny's and Harry's faces, and surmised that they were mind speaking again. The fact they could do that made it impossible to separate them or prevent them from talking to one another.

To Molly this created some obstacles to some things that she had planned on threatening them with, if not actually doing them.

"Now that we've gotten that out of the way, I'd like to address the problem at hand. I want you both to know how disappointed Arthur and I are at your behaviour."

As soon as he heard his name mentioned, Arthur squirmed in his chair, a decidingly unpleasant look came onto his face. Molly turned and looked at him in irritation, his movements letting her know that he wasn't in 100% agreement with Molly.

"Now what do you have to say for yourselves?" she asked the young couple, smiling in what she hoped was a disarming way.

It was Ginny who answered first, "I told you last night Mum, I have nightmares and the only way I sleep restfully for the whole night, is if I'm in Harry's arms," she said defiantly.

"That's right Mrs. Weasley," Harry said, agreeing with Ginny. "I know I've told you about my childhood and the things that have happened to and around me. I also have nightmares sometimes, but holding Ginny, in my arms while I sleep, just being with her, well, it makes it all right. Can't you see that?"

"I'm sorry," Molly said, "It is inappropriate for you two to be engaged in such activities at your age. It just isn't done!"

"Mum, you know that we're different. We're Bonded, so that changes things. We aren't like other kids our age," Ginny said, her anger smouldering below the surface.

Once again, thinking if this discussion wasn't so important, that he would have found some of the goings on quite funny.

He turned his attention back to Ginny, he could feel her getting more angry as time went on. To help comfort her, he took her hand in his and gave it a gently squeeze.

Immediately he felt some of the anger drain out of Ginny and she sent "_Thanks Harry."_

Molly's face assumed a hard edge, "You two just need to realize that we know what is best and that you shall not sleep together and that's just the way it's going to be."

"So just because you're older, you can just dictate to us what you think it's OK to boss us around. What ever happened to having a discussion to solve our problems like in the past. You always said that dictating to solve the problem really didn't solve anything, but just changed the subject you were arguing about?"

Molly hated when one of the children threw her own words back into her face, what she really needed was for Ginny to see that she was right and leave it at that.

"Ginny. It is our responsibility to make sure that you are raised right and act appropriately. Just think what your brothers will think and say!" Molly said, her anger starting to rise.

Ginny just rolled her eyes, "I don't care what they think or say! I don't live my life to please them," she said, her voice rising to match her mothers.

"Um, dear," Arthur said, trying to get things calmed down again.

"Oh! So you think you can just do whatever you want, with whomever you please!" Molly said, her voice increasing yet again.

"I'm not doing anything with whomever, Mother! He's my Bond-mate! He's not just someone off the street!"

Molly stood and took a step towards Ginny, looking down at her sitting on the couch, she shook her finger at her, "You'll listen to me and do what I say, you're only eleven and still a child!" Molly shouted.

Ginny stood and faced her mother, her eyes blazing but with tears of frustration and anger starting to form. "I hate to tell you Mother, but I'm no longer a child, Tom took care of that. I've seen things no eleven year old should ever see, been forced to do things no child should. Why do you want to take away something that gives me joy and comfort?" Ginny yelled back at Molly.

As the two Weasley women stood glaring at one another, Arthur stood and rushed over and gently pulled Molly back, "Dear, why don't we take a break?" he said as calmly as he could.

Harry had stood too, taking Ginny into his arms and looking at Molly bewilderedly, his heart aching for Ginny but also for the turmoil that was tearing at the family.

As Ginny's words sunk in to Molly's brain, she took a huge gasping breath, her eyes starting to tear up too. Shaking her head she said with finality, "I want you two to go up to your rooms and think about what you are doing."

Ginny just glared at her, "Fine!" Ginny said angrily. "_Come on Harry, let's go."_

Harry took one last look at Molly who was now in Arthur's arms, he could tell she was crying but Harry couldn't tell if it was from sadness or frustration.

He and Ginny went up stairs and when they got to the landing where their rooms were, she clung to Harry tightly, _"Please come in my room and hold me for a while,"_ she said softly.

Harry could feel her conflicting emotions, she was still angry and frustrated with her Mum, but there was also a sadness touched with terror from thinking about the things Tom had shown her. Horrible things, the thoughts and deeds of a depraved and evil sixteen year old, things that a young girl never should have been exposed to.

Harry knew he couldn't deny Ginny, no matter what Arthur and Molly thought, his focus was on Ginny and her need for comfort in a time of great need.

He guided Ginny over to her bed and gently had her sit down. He removed her trainers and then his own. Ginny scooted over onto her bed and laid down, opening her arms for Harry to join her. Once he had she buried her face into his shoulder and began to sob uncontrollably.

Harry began to rub her back gently, sending his thoughts of love and support, while whispering soft, calming and reassuring things to her. Letting her drain herself of her pent up anger and frustration. Knowing that he would not let anything keep him from comforting and being with her, damn the consequences.

Slowly Ginny calmed and she began to enjoy being in Harry's loving arms. The Bind reenforcing the feelings of love and the support he was letting her feel both through the bond and from his gentle caring touch as he rubbed her back and snuggled with her. "This," she thought, "is why we need to be together."

**XX HP + GW XX**

Molly sat morosely in the parlour. Arthur having gone to make her some tea. In her head she knew she was right about keeping them from sleeping together but her heart ached for what Ginny had revealed.

Though they had talked late into the night when she had been rescued from the Chamber, they didn't talk about specifics and details, just that she and Arthur, along with the rest of the family were glad that she was safe and alive.

Ginny had spoken little, now that Molly reflected on it and Madam Pomfrey had said that was normal for someone that had suffered an experience like Ginny had.

Arthur returned with the tea and after he had handed Molly a cupful, he sat down and looked at her with the expression that Molly knew meant that he was not pleased with how things had gone.

Though Arthur usually let Molly handle discipline the children, he didn't just let her have free reign. He paid attention and kept abreast of what was going on, lending support when needed and stepping in if he thought it was appropriate.

"Molly," he said softly, "You aren't going to reach her by yelling at her or dictating to her or Harry. We need to keep calm heads and work towards having both sides understand what is happening and what is needed."

"Are you telling me I should just let them sleep together?" Molly said, her voice quavering with her doubt.

"No, I'm not saying we should just let them do what they want all the time. What I'm saying is we need to take great care in handling things. You heard Ginny talk about what she went through. I really think maybe she should see a specialist at St. Mungo's.

Molly looked aghast at his suggestion, "Do you think that's really necessary?"

Arthur shrugged, "I'm not sure, but I don't think we should eliminate anything right at the moment. We don't need to make a decision ye,t but I think we should definitely consider it."

Molly nodded sadly, not wanting to think about it just yet. Her first concern was the situation with Ginny and Harry sleeping together. She really wanted to nip it in the bud, and with as little fuss as possible, she just wanted to get the situation back to normal and then everything would be all right.

"Arthur? Do you think we should call Minerva in on this?"

Arthur looked thoughtful for several moments, and then he nodded slowly, "Yes, I think was should, That's wonderful idea, I'll floo her to see when she will be available."

"OK, Arthur. Tell her it's very important and we need to see her as quickly as possible," Molly said, her face awash with her anxiety.

"Now, ' He said sadly *All we have to do is convince Ginny and Harry that we have their best interest at heart.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Far to the north Minerva McGonagall snuggled deeper into bed, the winds were howling outside. The only consolation was that it wasn't winter and the violent storms of the summer rarely lasted very long.

She felt movement beside her and she smiled. Long ago when she had lost her husband, she had thought that she' never find someone who would make her feel like a young lass again.

That was before she had met the man who laid beside her, her secret love who understood her desire to keep things quiet and secret for now.

The repercussions for Minerva would be terrible, she would lose her job teaching at Hogwarts because of the antiquated bylaws that the Board of Governors still used.

She sighed contently and wished that things could be different and that they didn't need to sneak around, that plus the fact it made being together during the school year very difficult and dangerous. The chances of being discovered were exceedingly high and she couldn't bring him into the castle on fear he would be recognized.

She felt her lover stir once more and this time his hand cupped her naked arse. She smiled at him and kissed him with her growing desire.

Minerva was just getting ready to reciprocate as her hand started to roam across his chest when she heart a knock at the door. She sighed deeply, knowing that Banter would only disturb them if it was extremely important.

Settling herself and sitting up after arranging the pillows, along with making sure she was modestly covered, she called out "Enter."

The old house elf came into the room his face full of regret for having disturbed his Mistress when she was with the man she loved. He knew they got to spend a very limited amount of time together and he could see how much his Mistress needed and enjoyed the time did get to spend with the one who made her happy.

"I is sorry to disturb you Mistress," he said bowing low.

"That's all right Banter," Minerva said with a smile. "What is so urgent?"

"You'se said that if Mr. or Mrs. Weasley were ever to floo call to come and get you immediately."

"Tell them I'll be right there," Minerva said, her mind racing, hoping that nothing had happened to Harry.

As soon as the ancient elf left Minerva sprang out of bed and hurriedly began to dress. Though she did notice herself being watched from the bed.

Shaking her head, but with a smile she said, "You lecherous old goat."

"There's no denying that," he said with a gleam in his eyes.

"I shouldn't be long," Minerva said, hoping that she would be right.

"If things run true to form, you know that isn't true," he said with a chuckle.

Minerva slipped on her shoes and hurried to the bed and gave her guest one last kiss before turning to hurry down to the floo. As she turned a hand lashed out quickly and swatted her on her bum.

She gave a little jump, more because she hadn't expected it, than any pain it caused. Looking back over her shoulder as she reached the door. "I'll remember that," she said playfully.

I'm hoping you do said her companion as he began to rise and get dressed.

Minerva wished she could stay and tease just as much as she had been teased, but she hurried to the fireplace in the study where she could speak to whichever of the Weasleys was calling.

Minerva was a little surprised to see it was Arthur calling, but put it from her mind. "Hello Arthur, anything amiss?" she asked.

Arthur sighed, "We have a bit of a situation concerning Harry and Ginny and thought your insight might be very helpful in dealing with them."

"Can you tell me what happened?" she asked, wondering what could have happened.

"Ah, well. . . you see, um, we caught Ginny sleeping in Harry's bed last night, and it's caused a bit of a stir."

Minerva shook her head, "Don't tell me, let's see, Molly is all in a tizzy because of it", she said with a wan smile.

"You know her well," Arthur said with a smile. "We were hoping that you could come to dinner tonight and give us a hand with the children."

Minerva was surprised when Arthur's face saddened as he mentioned the children. She glanced at the doorway, as if she could see her lover from where she was.

"Something wrong Minerva?" Arthur asked when she hesitated.

"Well I have a guest and . . . ."

"Bring them along for dinner, if you want to and you think you can trust him with Harry's secret.

Minerva smiled, it would be nice to do something that couples ordinarily did. "I'll check with my friend to make sure, but for right now, figure both of us will be there. If anything changes I'll let you know."

"Right-o, then we'll see you for dinner, I'll let Molly know to set two more places," Arthur said with a smile.

"OK Arthur," Minerva said.

Once Arthur broke the connection, Minerva stood smiling for a few moments before calling for Banter. "There has been a change of plans, we'll be dining with the Weasleys this evening."

Banter took it in stride, except for a smile that crept onto his face, matching the one on his Mistress. He was glad she was taking her friend out, maybe it showed a change in the relationship, and Banter thought that would be a good thing.

As Banter disappeared, a tall figure wearing one of her father's old dressing gowns appeared in the doorway. "Anything the matter?"

Minerva sighed, "Issues with my ward," she said with a smile.

"Anything I can do to help?" he asked pleasantly, knowing Minerva always refused his offers.

He was surprised when Minerva smiled at him like the Kneazle who swallowed a Pixie, "As a matter of fact, yes there is. Want to come to dinner with me?"

**XX HP + GW XX**

**A/N: Well the battle is underway, who do you think will win the test of wills? Molly or Ginny?**

**And 100 Galleons if anyone can guess who Minerva's Lover is.**

**Please review, it helps keep me from going off the deep end.**


	12. Nymphadora's Choice

**Harry and Ginny: A Love Story**

**Chapter 12: Nymphadora's choice**

Harry and Ginny awoke after a couple hours, both feeling better than they had when they first came up stairs.

They remained laying down, Ginny being held in Harry's loving embrace. Even though her eyes were still closed, Harry knew she was awake. He gently ran his hand though her hair, something he had secretly wanted to do for quite some time but never felt the time was right.

"_Ginny, how are you feeling?" _he sent, his concern flooding their connection.

Ginny sighed, "_I'm struggling right now,"_ she replied.

"_I'm worried about something you said to Mum," _Harry sent, tenderly, his "voice" filled with his concern.

He felt Ginny tense for a moment, but then she relaxed and he felt her become very sad as she remembered what she had said. "_I guess we should talk then, Harry."_

Harry nodded and steeled himself for what was coming.

"Hold me tight Harry," Ginny whispered.

Harry made sure that his arms were wrapped firmly around Ginny and that he wouldn't lose his grip.

Ginny tucked her head in next to Harry's neck, her mouth right near his one ear. Slowly she began to pour out all the vile things Tom had made her endure. Each and every despicable act she was made to perform . All she had witnessed both real and inside her mind as Tom took her over and shared his many "Triumphs" with her.

She spoke of his torturing helpless animals and then people, starting with two young orphans from the orphanage he was raised in. She was made to follow and witness each and every time he used an Unforgivable on some poor helpless victim, usually a Muggle, who was left either maimed or dead. Some Obliviated so that they couldn't remember what, where or who had assaulted them.

Harry felt Ginny shaking with fear and disgust, he felt her as she said she was now dirty and didn't deserve to be Bonded with someone as kind and noble as Harry was. How she had snuck into the shower after everyone had left her sleeping and practically scrubbed herself raw in the desire to feel clean again.

Harry could feel her fear rising, that now that he knew everything, that he would reject and abandon her. That HE would be the one that didn't want her any more.

Harry gently rocked Ginny, softly kissing her on her head, telling her that he still loved and wanted her. That nothing that Tom Riddle did made the slightest bit of difference to him. She was still his Bond-mate and in his eyes, she was someone to be admired and praised for her struggle with Tom Riddle and that she had in the end help destroy the evil that lived inside of the Diary by fighting with all she had for so very long.

That was how Molly found them at lunch time when she brought up a tray with sandwiches and crisps along with water and juice.

Harry at first saw her disapproval and it angered him. Trying very hard not to wake Ginny, who had drifted off to sleep after her difficult ordeal of telling him everything concerning her first year and her struggle with Tom Riddle.

As she came over and set the tray down, Molly was surprised to see the anger in Harry's eyes.

"Harry? What's wrong?" she asked, not understanding what had him all fired up.

Fighting his emotions Harry said vehemently, "She just got finished telling me everything that Tom subjected her to and believe me it wasn't pretty."

Molly was shocked and a bit saddened by Harry's revelation, that her daughter went to Harry and not her. She felt that somehow she had failed Ginny, and that she wasn't worthy of having such a wonderful daughter.

She could see where Ginny had been crying, with her eyes all puffy and red from crying. Again she felt a sense of loss, that something precious had been taken from her, not by Harry, but rather taken by Ginny and given to another, Harry.

Molly nodded at him, keeping her movements to a minimum, hoping that she wouldn't wake Ginny yet. She stared at Ginny's face for a couple of minutes, her heart aching for the tortured look that still graced Ginny's face.

"Let her sleep, Harry," Molly whispered. She was happy to see Harry's look soften, not completely, but enough to have made a huge difference in the way she saw him looking at her.

Harry sighed in relief, and nodded slowly, letting Molly know that he had heard her and would follow her instructions, and it was really because it was what he would have done anyway.

Molly retreated from the room and quietly pulled the door closed behind her. She knew that the gesture could be interpreted as giving in to them, but she wanted Ginny to rest. It was obvious from looking at her that the mornings trials had drained her and opened wounds that ran deep.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Nymphadora Tonks was just getting off her shift and was fighting a war with herself. She had spent a lot of time thinking about her conversation with Molly and some of the things that were discussed.

The thing that kept coming to mind was the association questions that Molly had asked. They were almost constantly on her mind. It was like something was trying to tell her that piece of information was very important.

She had an idea but she wanted to run it by Molly first to see what she thought of it. She decided to go back to her flat first to change out of her Auror robes and clean up a little. Some days she left work feeling a bit soiled because of the suspects she had apprehended that day, and to day was one of those days.

The case they had been working on was a very delicate one because the suspect they apprehended had been hiring himself out to some Muggle gangster types. He hadn't breached the Statute of Secrecy as he hid his magical abilities but just delivered the goods, which in this case were young Muggle girls who were being smuggled out of the country for the illicit sex trade.

If there was ever somebody that deserved life in Azkaban or the Kiss, Tonks thought it was this guy. He tried to say that he didn't know, but they had recordings of his being told what was happening and even indulging in some "Play" time with several of the girls when given the opportunity.

Tonks felt so bad for the young girls, they were between the ages of 12 and 16, and had been drugged. Even in their condition, they were frightened beyond belief. She was glad that the ring had been broken up and that the Wizard who was in part responsible had been caught.

After changing into some casual clothing she Apparated to the Burrows boundary and slowly made her way toward the door. She looked around as she did, a smile on her face, she loved the calm atmosphere, the gentle breeze and the fresh clean smell of the air.

After being in London so much, she relished getting away to the country and just relaxing, being away from the hustle and bustle of too many people packed together.

She glanced at the ramshackle house before her and felt the warmth it provided, to her is just spoke "Home" and she couldn't help but smile as she approached the door.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Molly was just preparing lunch when she heard the chime sound that someone had just entered the wards. Since it wasn't the warning gong that the wards had been breached, she wasn't terribly concerned.

Glancing out the window she saw it was Dora Tonks and she smiled, wondering if she'd get the opportunity to find out where she stood concerning Harry.

She opened the door even before Tonks got a chance to knock and welcomed her in with a hug. "Back so soon," Molly said with a laugh.

"Yeah, for some reason I just couldn't stay away. I think it's the smell of the food here. Cooking for just myself in my flat just isn't any fun and I usually end up getting some take away instead.

"You poor thing," Molly said sympathetically, "You know you're welcome here any time you want a good home cooked meal."

Tonks smiled at Molly, "I'll just have to take you up on that."

"Would you like to stay for lunch?" Molly asked with a grin.

Tonks had to laugh, "If it wouldn't be any bother. I'd hate to intrude."

"It's no bother, Dora. I'd be pleased to have you stay," Molly said as she began to set the table. "So what brings you here today?" she asked.

Tonks looked at Molly a bit hesitantly. "You know how we were talking about that word association and I kept coming up with Privet Drive and Minerva McGonagall?"

"Yes," Molly replied, slowly, wondering where Dora was going with it.

"Well, I'm considering going to talk to her about it." Then shaking her head, "I think it's something important but whatever it is keeps eluding me and it's driving me crazy," she said, as she got up and started to pace.

Molly felt sorry for the young Auror, and she wanted to help, but she still didn't know where she stood concerning Harry.

Tonks sank back down and into her seat and looked at Molly intently, but also with a touch of desperation. "Molly if I tell you something do you swear not to tell anyone, and I mean anyone, not Arthur, your kids, anyone?

Molly was very intrigued by Dora's offer, wondering what was so important that she wanted to keep secret. "OK, Dora, I swear I won't tell a soul."

Molly watched as Dora's face relaxed some, as if a heavy burden was being released. "I was helping keep watch on Harry Potter. . . "

Molly felt her breath catch in her throat.

". . . and he's gone missing. Dumbledore is going spare as to where the boy is and has me and Mad-eye trying to find him."

Molly became quite concerned, Mad-eye Moody was known to be able to track down anyone given enough time. It was what he did when he worked at the Ministry and he was very good at his job.

She then noticed the sad look on Dora's face, "What's the matter, dear?" she asked gently.

Dora looked up into her eyes, her own showing sorrow and regret. "The thing is Molly, I'm not sure I want him to be found."

Molly couldn't hide the shock from appearing on her face. "Why's that, Dora?" she asked, trying hard to keep her voice from quavering.

Dora sighed, and she rose once more and started pacing again. "The thing is, I wouldn't want him returned to his relatives, I'm sure that they were mistreating him," her voice laced with her sadness. "I'd do just about anything to keep him from having to go back to that," she said with a harsh laugh.

"Do you mean that , Dora? I mean really truly think that way, even if it meant going against Albus?" Molly asked fervently.

Dora looked at her closely, her eyes intense, looking into Molly's and trying to read whatever she could. "You know something, don't you?" she asked lowly.

"I neither confirm or deny that," Molly said evenly.

Dora looked at her for a moment, neither woman saying anything. Molly was the one who broke the silence, "Dora, If I was to tell you something, something important, would you take a wizard's Oath, not to divulge anything to do with it?"

Dora took in a deep breath, as an Auror, she was very restricted in taking Wizard Oaths, in case it might compromise her ability to perform her duties. Sensing that Molly wouldn't take no for an answer if she was going to divulge what she knew and since it wasn't really a Ministry matter, she decided to comply.

Molly watched in satisfaction as Dora took out her wand and cast her Oath. Once the light had encircled her hand and sunk into her she smiled at Molly and said conspiratorially, "So what's the big secret?"

Molly just smiled back at her and decided to have a little fun. "Why don't you go up and tell Ginny it's time for lunch."

Dora looked at her questioningly, but Molly just gave her a small laugh and said "Go on, and if you haven't figured it out by the time you get back, I'll tell you and if you do figure it out, I'll answer any questions."

Dora was really intrigued now, "Which room is Ginny's" she asked.

"First landing, on the right."

Dora hurried up the stairs, eager to have an answer to the mystery that Molly had presented. She found the door closed so she knocked softly.

"Come in," she heard Ginny say.

Dora opened the door and found Ginny on the bed, though she barely saw the young girl. She had frozen inside the door, her eyes locked on the person laying there with Ginny. She found herself staring into the eyes of none other than Harry Potter.

Both Ginny and Harry had shocked looks on their faces, but they relaxed when Dora said softly, "Ah, your Mum sent me up to tell you it's time for lunch."

Immediately the two kids relaxed, figuring if Molly had sent her it must be OK. They rose and walked hand in hand out the door, right past the still stunned Auror. Ginny looked back and said with a grin, "Coming?"

Dora was shaken out of her stupor and nodding, followed the young couple down the stairs. "When they had all taken their seats, Molly said with a grin, "I see you have figured it out."

Tonks turned toward Molly, her eyes filled with merriment, "OK, yeah I figured it out but you're going to need to answer a few questions."

"Yes, I figured you might have a few," Molly said, sharing a laugh with the young witch.

Dora started asking her questions and Molly answered each and every one of them. By the time they were through, Dora had the complete picture of how and why Harry was at the Burrow and she immediately agreed to help Harry in any way that she could.

Dora though sensed that something was going on between the kids and Molly, though they were polite to her, to Dora it seemed they were overly so, quite formal it seemed. After Harry and Ginny had excused themselves and returned back up stairs Dora looked at Molly and said, "What gives with Ginny and Harry?"

Molly sighed, "Well we're kind of having an issue right now and they don't agree with Arthur and me."

"Anything I can do to help?" Dora asked.

"I don't think so," Molly said with a sad smile. "Though I have invited Minerva to dinner tonight to discuss it with her."

"She should be a big help, if anyone knows children it's her," Tonks said, thoughtfully.

"Why don't you stay for dinner," Molly said, with a smile. "You can talk to her about your problem you're trying to solve."

Dora thought for a moment, "Tell you what. I have a couple of errands to run, but I'd love to come to dinner, like I said, I never turn down a home cooked meal."

Molly laughed, "Well, OK then, we'll be eating about seven, don't be late."

Dora smiled back at her, "I should be back before that, if it's OK with you?"

"I've told you before, Dora. You're welcome here any time."

Tonks got up and as she did so, Molly did too. Tonks came around to her and gave her a big hug. "You certainly have been full of surprises."

"With six boys, I have to be really sharp or else," Molly said with a grin.

"I don't know how you do it Molly, I've heard rumours about the Twins and if half of them are true, you should be up for some kind of reward."

Molly giggled, "I don't know about that but they can be quite a handful."

Tonks sighed as she opened the door, "I'll see you later, and thanks for trusting me in regard to Harry. I'm really relieved that he's safe and away from his relatives."

Molly watched the young Auror walk toward the Burrow's Apparation point, glad she was able to recruit her into the circle of people who were taking care of Harry.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Mad-eye Moony sat in Dumbledore's office, answering a summons for an update on the on going search for Harry.

The old Auror, was looking at the Headmaster critically, knowing him to be a masterful manipulator and he wondered about Tonks' thoughts about Harry's treatment in Surrey.

"Albus," he growled, "Certain rumours have reached me while I've been conducting my search, some of them quite troubling."

"Concerning what, may I ask?" Dumbledore inquired, trying to keep the conversation light and pleasant.

"About how the boy was treated by said relatives," Mad-eye said, plainly, seeing no reason to beat around the bush.

He noticed Dumbledore's eyes widen slightly, so slightly a normal person would have missed it. "Now Alastor, you know how people are with rumours, you can't believe a thing most of them say," Dumbledore said, off-handedly.

"Aye, that can be true, but it's just as likely that there is a grain of truth to them too," Mad-eye replied.

Dumbledore rose from behind his desk and began to pace in his office and Alastor knew it was one of the things he did when nervous and didn't want to make eye contact with the person he was talking to.

Albus Dumbledore sighed, "Alastor, while Harry's life at #4 Privet Drive may not be ideal, it is the safest place for him to stay until he's of age."

Alastor Moody, thumped his wooden leg down hard on the floor of the office, making a large bang reverberate through the place. "You place too much trust in those damn blood wards Albus. I've told you more than once he can be made just as safe virtually anywhere with the proper wards in place."

"Well that's rather a mute point at the moment," Dumbledore replied, a little testily. "What I'm interested in right now is what progress have you made in tracking him down?"

"Well obviously I haven't found him yet, but I do have a lead or two that I'm following, so don't give up hope just yet, Albus. Have I ever let you down yet?"

"No Alastor, you haven't, but this is a special case and progress seems rather slow," Albus sighed.

"True, Albus, but then you usually have me tracking down criminals and ne'er-do-wells. People who leave traces in the underworld they travel in. Here we're looking for a kid twelve years old. He doesn't leave much of a trace anywhere, much less in the places I usually find the one's you're looking for," Alastor grumbled.

"True, true, Alastor, but we must find him.. So much is at stake and Harry is the key to it all," Albus said, sadly. "I can't even begin to conceive thinking about it if he were lost to us forever."

"Now, now, Albus. It hasn't come to that. In fact if he was dead, I think he'd be a whole lot easier to find!" Mad-eye said with a laugh.

"Yes, dead twelve year olds do tend to draw a lot of attention," Albus said with a chuckle. "Please keep me informed of your progress, Alastor."

Moody struggled to his feet, "That I'll do Albus, that I'll do."

He then turned and stomped to the door, he stopped and gave one last glance back at Dumbledore who looked at him questioningly. Mad-eye just gave a wave of his hand and left, thinking that Albus Dumbledore only thought about what Harry Potter could do for him and didn't really have the kids best interest at heart.

Yes, Tonks was right, wherever the boy was, he was almost certainly better off than under the care and guidance of one Albus Dumbledore.

**XX HP + GW XX**

The Twins and Ron were laying out by the pond, after their mother had packed them a huge lunch and told them to make themselves scarce till late afternoon. They had spent most of the morning swimming and had just finished eating their lunch.

Feeling full and drowsy in the warm summer air, they were laying around and the discussion had turned to what was going on between their parents and Ginny and Harry.

Fred and George had tested the privacy charms that had been cast but they were stronger than anything that they had encountered before.

"Wow, George, those wards were pretty powerful," Fred said.

"Yeah, Fred. Stronger than anything we've run in to before," George said in agreement.

"What ever they are talking about to Ginny and Harry must be pretty big, don't ya think?"

"That I do Fred, that I do. You don't think her got her pregnant, do you?"

"They're only eleven and twelve George, I know the Prewett women are fertile but that's pushing the limit."

At the mention of Ginny might be pregnant, Ron sat up, his face turning bright red, "Well if he got her pregnant, I'll kill him, Mum and Dad won't matter. I don't care if he's the great Harry Potter or the Bloody Boy-Who-Lived!" Ron shouted angrily.

Fred and George looked at Ron like he'd lost his mind. "Whoa, Ron. We're just doing some idle speculation. We could be way off the mark. Do you have any alternate suggestions that might be feasible?" Fred said watching Ron closely.

Ron calmed a bit but was still very agitated, his anger subdued but not gone totally. His face still in a scowl, "Well I don't know, whatever it is, it must be pretty big."

George rolled his eyes, "We just said that Ron."

"Yeah, well I, ah. . ."

"That's Bloody eloquent of you," Fred said with a laugh.

Ron shook his head in disgust. "You guys just never give me a break, do you?"

"Ron, if you just didn't make it so easy for us, we'd lay off a little, but it's like you're the perfect straight man," George told him, a smile on his face.

"If you would have thought before you started speaking, without having anything ready to say, you wouldn't have given us the opportunity to take the mickey out on you," Fred said.

By distracting Ron, and making him think, they had dispelled much of his anger, sure he was still irritated but he was no longer ready to kill someone.

Seeing Ron relax a little, Fred threw him a bottle, "Here bro, have another butterbeer."

"Where did you get them from?" Ron asked, looking closely at the bottle like it would disappear. "And does Mum know?"

"Don't ask questions, as the Muggles say, Don't look a gift horse in the mouth," George said.

"Eww, Who'd want to look a horse in the mouth?" Fred asked. "I mean they must have terrible breath, don't cha think?"

"Yeah, and what's a gift horse? Is that a Muggle thing like Christmas? Some horse galloping around delivering gifts! Blimey, they sure do have some crazy notions," Fred said, thoughtfully.

"Another thing, what Mum doesn't know can't hurt you," George stated.

"Unless she catches you," added Fred.

Ron smiled evilly, "Guess you'd better be nice to me," he said triumphantly.

"Hump, Why's that O little brother," Fred asked with a smirk.

"I'll tell Mum," Ron answered smugly.

George just laughed at him, "We'll deny it," he stated calmly.

"I'll show her the bottle," Ron said, frowning.

"How will you prove we gave it to you?" Fred said with a chuckle.

When Ron just looked at them, George moved in for the kill, "There you'll be with a butterbeer bottle in your hands, no proof it ever belonged to someone else, with Mum staring at you, giving you the eye."

"Standing there, over you, tapping her foot, hands on her hips, the anger so palatable that the very air you breath is laced with it!" Fred added.

"All right, I get the picture," Ron said as he caved in to the Twin's pressure.

Fred and George exchanged looks, "This is getting a little boring," Fred said.

"Yeah, it is. I wonder if it's clear to go up to the house yet. We could get our brooms and play some Quidditch," George said with a smile.

They turned to Ron, "You in?" Fred asked.

"I guess, but we only have three," Ron said, looking at the Twins.

"We can get Harry to play," said George.

"That's if we can pry him away from Ginny," Fred said with a laugh.

"She can come and watch," George added with a smile.

They all rose and gathered their things and headed back to the Burrow. They saw their Mum out hanging some wash. She spotted them walking up from the pond and smiled at them, "I was going to call you after I finished hanging the laundry," she called out.

They got close to her as she hung the last piece up to dry. "Hey Mum, we were thinking of playing a little Quidditch and was wondering if we could get Harry to play too." George said, being the closest.

Molly frowned, "No, I'm sorry boy's. Harry is being restricted for a while," she said glumly.

"Mum, what's going on, first the talking to Ginny and Harry," asked Fred

"And now Harry's restricted. That means it has to be pretty serious?" finished George.

Though Ron didn't speak, he moved a little closer to make sure he heard what his Mum had to say.

"I'm sorry boys, you know the rules. If you aren't involved then what the others are being disciplined for is none of your business," Molly said sternly. "How about asking your brother Percy to play?" she suggested.

The Twins both rolled their eyes, "You've got to be kidding Mum," retorted Fred.

"Yeah Mum, he hasn't played Quidditch with us for years," added George, derisively.

"Ever since he said he wanted to get a job at the Ministry," Fred said, looking like he had eaten something that tasted terrible.

Molly sighed, though she didn't want to admit it, she knew the Twins were right, Percy had changed since he set his goal of getting what he considered an important job at the Ministry.

"Well, I'm sorry, you'll just have to make do or find something else to do, I can't be lax with the rules just for Harry. He has to learn just like you all have, the rules are the rules," Molly explained.

Ron was taken by surprise, he hadn't even considered that Harry wouldn't be allowed to play and maybe Harry wasn't getting such special treatment after all.

The Twins turned to Ron, "Well if we can't play Quidditch want to play some follow the leader?" George said hopefully.

"Sure, why not? It certainly beats sitting around doing nothing," sighed Fred.

"You still in?" asked George, speaking to Ron.

Ron sighed, he'd rather have played Quidditch, but playing follow the leader was at least flying, "Sure," Ron said with a shrug.

**XX HP + GW XX**

It was late afternoon when Tonks returned to the Burrow and Molly greeted her warmly. "I didn't expect you till later," she said with a smile.

Tonks looked sheepishly at Molly, "I can come back later if you wish."

Molly shook her head as she took Tonks in a bone crunching hug, "You'll do no such thing, you're here now and here you'll stay."

Tonks breathed a sigh of relief as Molly let her go, trying to check herself for broken bones as Molly led her into the kitchen. She saw Molly was beginning to prepare dinner and she had to smile, wishing she knew how to cook as good as Molly did.

It was almost as if Molly was reading her mind, "Do you want to help?" she asked with a smile.

Tonks looked sceptically at her, "I'm not very good," she said sheepishly.

"Then all the better that you do, you'll learn a lot by helping out. Come on, I'll tell you what needs to be done and if you have any trouble, I'll help you get out of it. Deal?" Molly said, her smile encouraging Tonks to give it a try.

"OK Molly, but I won't be responsible if something goes wrong," Tonks replied with a laugh.

Molly handed her an apron and started her on dicing some vegetables for the stew she was making. After a brief period of instruction on the proper way to hold and use a chefs knife, Tonks began to prepare the items that Molly had set out for her.

It didn't take long before she began to get comfortable in doing her task and before she knew it she had everything done. Molly looked over her shoulder and smiled at her, "Wonderful job," she said, praising Tonks, which left her with a warm wonderful feeling.

Molly then had her help with getting several other things ready for cooking. Tonks was actually having fun, learning to cook with Molly. Though Molly did use magic to keep some things stirring, for the most part they did things by hand.

Molly explained that she preferred to do it that way. Saying that it gave her a great feeling of satisfaction and it was much more relaxing, allowing her to concentrate on cooking instead of things that may be bothering her or any little problems that may have creeped up.

It was a little after five when Arthur arrived home, and though he was a little surprised to see the young Auror helping Molly in the kitchen, he took it in stride and didn't let anything show.

Molly smiled at him and as he sat down at the table to read the Evening Prophet Molly explained Tonks' presence.

Arthur was surprised to say the least but very happy to have such a skilled and personable ally added to the loose "family" that was growing around Harry.

Slowly all the Weasley children made there way into the kitchen as dinner time approached. Everyone was surprised by Tonks' presence but all accepted her without any problem.

Tonks felt the warmth of the family from every member she was introduced to, though she did feel that Percy wasn't as welcoming as the others. It wasn't something she could put her finger on but she knew it felt different and she vowed to pay close attention to Percy until she could figure it out.

As the clock ticked towards seven, everything was ready for dinner. All they needed now was the remainder of the guests. Several of the children were seated at the table, but George was still standing, getting himself something to drink.

Tonks had been shuffled around till she was near the stairs, with Percy and Arthur standing beside her.

"George could you go tell Ginny and Harry that dinner's ready?" Molly said.

George was just about to answer when Tonks spoke up, "I'm right here Molly, I'll go get them."

Molly smiled at her, "Well OK, if you want to climb those steps again."

"It's no problem," Tonks said with a smile as she turned and bound up the stairs.

Fred and George watched her go, "Sounds like one of us," Fred said.

"Yeah Mum, you sure she isn't related?" George added.

Molly chuckled as did Arthur, "Well all the pure-blood families are related somehow," Arthur explained. "I'm sure she's related to us by more than one family member somehow."

Tonks returned a couple of moments later with Harry and Ginny trailing behind. Everyone was sitting down when a knock came at the door. Molly glanced at the clock, "Seven PM, right on time," she said as she pulled the last of the bread from the oven.

Arthur went to open the door, "Remember, she said she was bring a friend, so be nice," Molly chided playfully.

Arthur just shook his head and opened the door, Minerva came through first and smiled at everyone sitting there. Arthur looked past her out the door at her guest. His eyes grew round and he had a shocked look on his face.

Molly noticed that uncharacteristically Minerva was blushing, and for once she was wearing her hair down, out of her typical bun. She then noticed Arthur standing, staring out the door.

"Arthur, get a hold of yourself and invite Minerva's guest in," Molly chided him.

Arthur just motioned with his hand, sweeping it inside, inviting the person in. Everyone was staring intently at the door by now and as the person stepped inside, everyone's jaw dropped open, not believing who they were seeing and who was Minerva's friend.

Molly was the first one to recover, "Well I certainly didn't expect you when Minerva said she was bring a friend."

The man standing there gave a hearty laugh, "Yeah, I know," he said, "Somehow no one ever expects me."

**XX HP + GW XX**

**A/N: Surprise faithful readers, I have another chapter finished and decided to post it now, so enjoy.**

**Last chance for guesses on Minerva's "Friend".**

**As always I really appreciate your reviews and comments, so please leave one or the other.**


	13. Past and Future Come Together

**Harry and Ginny: A Love Story**

**Chapter 13: Past and Future Come Together**

Alastor Moody, better known as Mad-eye, sat in the back corner of the Three Broomsticks. He usually preferred the Hogs Head because of the information that he could pick up by carefully listening to those around him. But tonight he wanted to think without feeling obligated to listen to the plans of others.

Nursing his Old Ogden's, he contemplated Harry Potter, Albus Dumbledore and what was at stake. The more he learned, the more he was becoming convinced of Tonks' assessment of the situation. Somewhere along the way Albus Dumbledore had turned into a meddlesome old fool.

Sure his heart was in the right place, but he had somehow gotten the notion that no one but he could know what to do. Alastor knew it wasn't arrogance really, just old enough to have gotten stuck in a narrow mind set, without being able to see any other options.

He knew in reality that the Potter kid hadn't just disappeared, someone had to have seen him pass through King's Cross and since the workers there couldn't remember, he'd have to explore other avenues.

The one option with the greatest chance at succeeding was talking to someone that was there. In doing so he would most likely have to divulge the fact that Potter was missing. Knowing he couldn't possibly search every square inch of Britain himself, Mad-eye decided that the possible risk of the wrong people finding out that Harry was missing was far outweighed by the fact that he needed assistance in finding Potter in a reasonable amount of time.

Now that he had made his decision, Alastor finished his Old Ogden's in one fiery gulp as he stood up and made his way to the door. Madam Rosmerta smiled at him and he vowed he'd have to be back sometime soon to enjoy her special brand of hospitality that she reserved for a select few.

He smiled back and made a certain motion with his hand, signalling Rosmerta that he would return to spend time with her later. Her smile widened and with an inclination of her head she signalled back she would be waiting with open arms as well as a couple of other limbs.

Humming to himself, Alastor made his way out of the Inn and Apparated away, set on finding out where Harry had gone, and now it was more for his curiosity's sake and not for Albus Dumbledore.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Everyone stared dumbfounded for several seconds, then Arthur said to Minerva, with a laugh, "Interesting company you're keeping these days. Won't you two come in and join us."

As they entered and Arthur shut the door, Minerva said "I hope everyone here recognizes my good friend Aberforth.

Harry looked at him intently, "You're Professor Dumbledore's brother, aren't you?"

Aberforth smiled at him, "Well yes, but I hope you won't hold that against me."

Ginny was watching the Twins closely and she knew from experience that though they were pretty good at not revealing much, that they knew Aberforth and she suspected he was their source for their seemingly endless supply of butterbeer.

Aberforth greeted everyone around the table and Ginny wasn't surprised when he looked at the Twins as his smile widened just a bit and his eyes took on the Dumbledore twinkle, that he knew them by sight, if not name.

The one he seemed most surprised to see was Tonks, but he greeted her warmly, teasing her slightly, wondering what she was doing here with this roguish band of conspirators.

Tonks saucily looked back at him, and said, "If you don't expose me, I won't tell who your paramour is."

Aberforth's eyebrows went up in surprise, not expecting such a retort from the young Auror. "I'm not sure who would be exposing whom, but I know who I'd like to expose," he said as he glanced a Minerva and wagged his eyebrows suggestively.

Minerva took it all in stride, just shaking her head and rolling her eyes. "That will be enough of that," she said, but the usual sternness was missing from her voice.

The Twins immediately sat up straighter and their faces lit up, sensing Minerva and Aberforth were much more than just friends.

Molly eyed them, her face a picture of parental disapproval. "If I hear of anyone here ever making comments out of turn, they will suffer some very severe consequences.

Fred and George exchanged looks with their Mum, trying very hard to portray the essence of innocence, but Molly wasn't buying it and she shot them a glare that froze the smiles on their faces.

Once all the chatter had died down, Molly began to serve the meal. It just so happened that Aberforth was seated right next to Harry. Several times during the meal, Harry was sure that Aberforth was watching him intently, but whenever Harry looked, he couldn't catch him at it.

Ginny squeezed his hand, as she was sitting on Harry's other side. "_What's up Harry?" _she asked.

"_I'm sure that Aberforth keeps looking at me, but I can't catch him at it," _Harry replied, letting a little of his frustration come through.

"_Just ignore him, I'll keep watch and let you know," _Ginny sent with a smile.

Harry squeezed her hand, letting her know that he heartedly approved of her plan. Harry from then on ignored Aberforth, letting Ginny keep watch.

"You're right Harry, he keeps looking at you whenever you are looking away from him and looks away if you make the slightest move with your head towards him."

"_Guess he doesn't know that we can talk to each other without being overheard." _Harry replied.

"_I guess not," _Ginny responded and Harry felt her merriment in her voice.

Harry felt turn-about was fair play, so he began to study the older Wizard next to him. He was a little surprised the he wasn't dressed in resplendent robes much like Professor Dumbledore wore. He figured Aberforth must have a much more down to earth vocation.

He was also much more easy going and laid back than the Headmaster. He laughed often and fully. He was as different from Albus as Harry thought he could be. Where Professor Dumbledore seemed cold and calculating, his brother Aberforth was very warm and out-going.

Harry also took the time to look at Aunt Minerva, she was a very different person in the company of Aberforth than when she was not. She literally had her hair down, and Harry was surprised how far down her back it came. At school she always had it up in a tight bun and it really added to the strict persona that she projected there.

Harry decided to have a little fun. _"Hey Ginny, pay attention to this,"_ he sent with a smile.

Ginny turned her attention on Harry and he gave her a wink. "Aunt Minerva, I must say you look exceptionally nice tonight. I really like your hair that way."

Minerva was taking a sip of her wine and almost choked on it, being caught off guard by her ward. "Why thank you, Harry," she said, blushing a little.

This did not go unnoticed by the Twins and you could see their minds working as to how to use this information to it's best advantage.

Harry continued, "I think you should wear it like that more often, it makes you look years younger."

Harry and Ginny were enjoying putting the spotlight on the usually staid Professor. She was actually getting a little flustered, something that they didn't think was possible.

Everyone at the table noticed Minerva's blush deepen but she was literally save by the bell.

The chime rang signalling that someone had entered the boundary of the Weasley property. No one was particularly worried because the chime that sounded was one that indicated that it was someone known to the family.

Before anyone could move there came a resounding knock at the door. Arthur glanced at Molly and then at Harry. Molly made a quick decision and motioned for Harry to go into the parlour. Harry nodded and made his way there quickly.

Ginny followed close behind, not wishing to be separated from her Bond-mate. They sat huddled together on the smaller of the two couches. Hand in hand they stared at the doorway, wondering who had arrived.

Arthur wasted little time once Harry was out of sight and opened the door. A cloaked figure stood there, unmoving and silent. No one said anything for a moment.

"You going to invite me in Arthur or are we going to stand here for the rest of the evening?" Mad-eye growled.

Arthur backed into the kitchen and made room for Moody to enter. "Well this is a surprise, Alastor," Arthur managed to get out without to much trouble.

"Looks like I interrupted a fancy dinner," Alastor commented.

"It's OK Alastor, we were just finishing up and about to have tea and the pudding, would you care to join us?" Molly said, hoping that everything would be OK.

Alastor looked at the table and said, "We seem to be a couple of people short. Perhaps your lovely daughter and her companion would like to join us." His magical eye staring intently at the wall that separated the kitchen from the parlour.

Molly and several other of the Weasleys paled, "Alastor," Molly said shakily, "I don't know what you're talking about."

Even the twins rolled there eyes, "Ah Mum," said Fred, dryly. "You know he can see through the wall, right?"

"Yeah, Mum, even Percy knows that," George said with a smirk.

Percy's face began to turn red as his usually officious manner dropped away and he looked more like an older Ron.

"That will be enough boys," Arthur said sternly. He then turned to Molly, "Dear, why don't you go and ask Ginny and Harry to rejoin us."

Molly glanced at Arthur, her eyes full of concern. To her, Mad-eye had always been Dumbledore's man, the one that did most of his dirty work, well the stuff not quite dirty enough for Mundungus Fletcher to do.

Tonks was watching Moody very closely, and though he rarely gave much away, he seemed to at ease to be here to find Harry for Albus. That thought heartened her, and maybe their talk had gotten him to see things in a different light.

Molly returned with Harry and Ginny, both looking slightly concerned but not obviously so.

"Now why don't we all get comfy, cosy," Mad-eye growled.

Harry and Ginny took their previous seats, both staring at the grizzled old ex-Auror.

Moody looked at Aberforth, "Who's minding the till tonight?" he asked.

Aberforth looked at Moody shrewdly, "One of my kindly neighbours, not that it's any of your business."

"I didn't mean anything by it, just a little surprised, that's all. Hell, according to Albus you never set foot out of the Hog's Head," Moody said, as amicably.

"I'm sure there are lot of things Albus doesn't know about me," Aberforth said, his manner showing his displeasure with his brother.

Mad-eye studied him intently for a few moments, using both eyes. "Aye, I'm sure there is," he said lowly.

Aberforth gave Moody a curt nod, which Mad-eye returned with a smile. "And it's very nice to see you here Minerva, and I must say you're looking especially splendid this evening."

Though her appearance hadn't changed from when she entered, her manner was once more of the stern Deputy Headmistress. "It's nice to see you too, Alastor," she replied, her face a stony mask.

Mad-eye looked at Molly, "You did say you were just about to have tea and pudding, didn't you?" he asked hopefully.

"Why, yes I did," she replied as she began to bustle around the stove, finishing preparing everything.

Everyone sat still and quiet, watching with Molly or Mad-eye, though neither did anything unusual. Mad-eye just sat there stoically while Molly prepared the tea and placed the desserts on the table.

Harry was surprised to see one of them was his favourite treacle tart and he wondered if Molly knew that it was.

Once everyone was seated and served, Moody looked at Harry very closely. "Do you mind if I ask Harry a few questions?" he asked.

Molly was a about to say something, but Arthur cut her off, "Harry, would you be willing to answer some questions from Mr. Moody?"

Harry looked back at Moody, "_What do you think, Ginny?" _Harry sent.

Ginny had also been watching Moody very closely. "_I don't see any harm in it, and if you don't like a question, you can just refuse to answer it," _she replied calmly.

Harry gave her hand a squeeze under the table, and said to Arthur, "Yes, I guess so, as long as I don't have to answer anything I don't want to."

All eyes turned once more to Moody, "I see no reason to compel you to answer anything Harry, I'm just trying to find out the truth."

Without taking his eyes off the old Auror, Harry said, "OK, then. What do you want to know?"

Instead of launching directly into questioning Harry, he looked at Arthur, "Perhaps it would be better to conduct this interview some place more private."

Arthur was a little surprised at Moody's suggestion, but gratified just the same. He was taking into account Harry's feelings and that was a good thing as far as he was concerned.

The only one's who protested were the Weasley children, with the exception of Percy. He showed no interest at all. "Well then Mother, if I can be excused then, I'd like to go up to my room and study the Ministry Handbook some more."

The twins rolled their eyes, "You don't even know if you got the internship yet," Fred said sarcastically.

"Yeah, it would serve you right if you didn't get it," added George.

All the kids snickered at George's statement, wishing it would come true.

"Not quite yet," Molly said sternly. "I want all you kids to help cleaning up while your father and I accompany our guests into the parlour."

Harry looked from Molly to Ginny and then back, "Mrs. Weasley, I'd appreciate it very much if Ginny could remain with me."

"Of course she can Harry, I never meant to imply that she couldn't stay with you," Molly answered, a tight smile on her face.

Harry and Ginny were both happy to hear that from Molly, as neither wished to be separated during what was potentially a very stressful time.

Molly refreshed the tea pot and once everyone was seated and comfortable, Mad-eye turned once more to Harry, "OK, Harry. I just want you to relax for me and we'll be done before you know it,

"I know you will and don't wish to anger you, but please make sure your answers are truthful." Moody said softly.

Harry nodded once more and set his face, waiting for the questions.

Harry noticed Arthur once more casting privacy and imperturbable charms on the door. He and Ginny took there customary place on the smaller couch, holding hands and looking at the others arranged in front of them in a semi-circle. Harry eyed each of them in line, Tonks, Molly, Aberforth, Mad-eye, Arthur, and Minerva. Most were seated but a few chose to stand.

He was reassured because he didn't see or feel any belligerence in any of them, only their concern, except for Moody. Harry couldn't tell what he was thinking.

"All right Harry, first I want you to tell me about your childhood growing up at the Dursley's," Mad-eye began.

Right away Harry felt his stomach tie up into knots and he thought he might be sick. Ever since he had come to the Burrow he had locked those memories away, they were that painful.

Ginny felt Harry tense and could tell he was in great emotional distress, he began to shake and she knew Harry was fighting what he was thinking.

The adults watching could see that Harry's demeanour had changed but from where they were they really couldn't tell just how much the question had effected him.

"_Harry! What's the matter?" _Ginny sent frantically to Harry.

Harry didn't immediately answer, so lost in his memories of how he had been treated. Images flashed through his mind, Uncle Vernon, removing his belt to punish him for some supposed infraction of their rules, of Aunt Petunia slapping him for ruining the supper when he was only seven and just learning to cook.

He remembered long stretches lock in the cabinet under the stairs, without food or drink for days at a time. Then there was Dudley and his "friends" who routinely beat Harry when he was younger.

Ginny was becoming frantic and Molly could see how distraught she was becoming. "What is it Ginny?" she asked.

"I'm not sure Mum. All I can get right now is Harry's emotions and he's really, really terrified."

Harry slowly fought his way out of the abyss that his emotions had flung him in. The thing that kept him going and sane was a brilliant red light above him that seemed to be calling for him to come to it.

To Harry it seemed to take forever, but to the others it was only a couple of minutes. Ginny kept gently running her hand through his hair and speaking softly to him. "It's OK Harry, just come to me," she whispered in his ear.

Harry's eyes fluttered open and he looked around himself wildly. When his eyes found Ginny, they locked on her and he stared into her deep chocolate brown eyes and he slowly calmed down.

Molly and Minerva had rushed to the couch where he sat and where checking him over carefully. When they found nothing physically wrong with him, they relaxed slightly and Molly asked, "Are you OK, Harry?"

Harry broke his eyes away from Ginny long enough to croak, "Water" and then he looked immediately back into her eyes.

Tonks quickly conjured a goblet and filed it with water, handing it to Molly, who handed it to Ginny. Ginny tenderly held it to Harry's lips, letting him take a sip. She refused to give him to much at one time, making him drink it slowly.

"What's the matter Harry? Can you tell us what happened?" Molly asked softly.

Harry glanced up at her, his eyes filled with anguish and then he dropped his head again. Keeping a firm grip on Ginny's hand then just above a whisper, "I began to remember everything that happened to me at my Aunt and Uncle's house. I had locked it away when I came here because here there are only happy memories," Harry said hoarsely.

"I know this is difficult Potter, but can you tell us anything about your life there?" Moody grumbled softly.

Harry once again looked at Molly with tears in his eyes, "Please Mum, don't make me."

Molly felt her heart break for this wonderful young boy who had come into their home and life. "That's OK dear, you don't need to say anything right now."

Harry clung to Ginny, his head now resting on her shoulder as she hugged him to her tightly. Taking comfort from her warmth and the love he felt from her, it penetrated deep inside of him and he felt the tightness and pain begin to lessen.

"_Thank you Ginny, I don't know what I would have done if you weren't here."_

"_I'll always be here for you Harry, just like you'll always be here for me."_

Harry felt a calmness settle over him and he felt a peace like he had never experienced before. Ginny could sense what he was felling and it spread to her as well.

Neither knew if it was because of the Bond or not, but they both revelled in the sensations it was filling them with.

Moody watched Harry closely, and then leaning in close, he said softly, "Potter, I know this is extremely hard and painful but can you tell us anything, anything at all."

Molly and Minerva looked at him in outrage, but as Harry lay in Ginny's comforting embrace, his eyes closed, he slowly began to tell about his life with the Dursley's. As more and more horrors were revealed the more upset the adults became.

Some like Molly and Minerva were heartbroken by what they heard, others like Tonks and Aberforth were angry beyond belief at what Harry had been forced to endure.

Harry finally fell silent, eyes still closed, snuggled tightly into Ginny. He looked pale and drawn, physically and mentally drained.

Minerva looked at Mad-eye, "Is that sufficient for you Alastor!" she said hotly.

Moody nodded slowly, "Yeah, I reckon it is."

"Was the really necessary Mad-eye?" Tonks asked, though still angry, she had tears in her eyes.

"I needed to know and more importantly, he needed to tell."

Tonks took a deep breath, knowing full well that he was right. If Harry had kept that buried inside there was no telling the psychological havoc that it could have caused.

Mad-eye, Tonks, Aberforth, Minerva and Arthur went back into the kitchen. They sat down at the table, the earlier good feelings that they had experienced were gone, replaced by a deep sadness for how much one young boy had to endure, just because he was different.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Molly sat watching Ginny and Harry closely. Right at the moment, neither was paying any attention to her. Ginny and Harry were still in a tight embrace, eyes closed and seemingly oblivious to everything around them.

"_Harry, I can't believe all that they did to you," _Ginny sent, her emotions colouring her thoughts.

"_It's over now Ginny and actually I feel better for having said everything. I just hope I never have to go through something like that again."_

Ginny smiled at Harry's thoughts and she squeezed him a little tighter. "_I'm glad that some good came from this horrible experience. It would have really sucked if it hadn't."_

Harry could only nod in agreement, so drained that replying seemed to much effort.

"_Come on Harry, time for bed."_

"_What about your Mum?" _

"_To tell you the truth, I don't care, your need is greater than whatever they may think."_

Harry smiled at Ginny's firm attitude, he knew that she wouldn't take no for an answer.

"Mum," Ginny said as she and Harry stood. "I'm taking Harry up to bed now, and we will be sleeping together tonight. He really needs me to be there for him, I hope you understand."

"All right Ginny, but that doesn't mean that this is settled, it is still inappropriate for you two to sleep together on a constant basis."

Ginny nodded but you could see her jaw set against the backdrop of her pale skin. Her eyes seemed to glisten but it was with an inner fire that burned brightly and Molly knew that nothing had been resolved.

Ginny led Harry upstairs and into his bedroom. He offered her no resistance of any kind. She gently pushed him against the side of the bed, causing him to sit down. She removed his trainers and socks and then unbuttoned his shirt, removing it also,

She then put on the tops of his pyjamas, buttoning it up, leaving the top two undone just like Harry preferred. Then taking a deep breath and steeling herself, repeating, "Just relax, you have six brothers, it's not like you haven't seen one before."

Ginny urged Harry to his feet and deftly unbuckled his belt, letting his khaki's and boxers fall to the floor. She then assisted him in putting on the other half of his pyjamas. The whole time Harry remained very passive, almost asleep standing on his feet,

She took a hold of his hand, "Come with me Harry," she said softly.

"_OK, Ginny," _he sent sleepily.

Ginny guided him across the hall and into her room. She steered him over towards her bed, where after she turned down the blanket and sheet, she urged him to get into it.

Harry tiredly did as he was told and while he settled himself, Ginny quickly got changed, not even worrying about the fact that Harry was in the room. She striped down to her knickers, pulled her nightgown over her head, then quickly removed her knickers.

She briefly thought that Harry had gotten a raw deal, but she rationalized it by saying that he was barely conscious and wouldn't have appreciated the display anyway.

She then joined Harry in bed, snuggling close to him and was happy when almost automatically he wrapped his arms around her, buried his face into her hair along her neck. She heard him sigh contentedly and felt him relax.

After the evenings emotionally trying time, both of them drifted off to sleep, looking quite peaceful compared to earlier when both had been trying feverishly to keep Harry from breaking down completely.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Molly followed Ginny and Harry from the Parlour and joined everyone at the table. Her first priority was to make a pot of fresh tea. It was a custom her mother had taught her, making tea when stressed, it helped calm everyone, especially her as it gave her something to concentrate on other than the problem at hand, something that was far away and didn't need attending to immediately.

It also gave everyone else time to cool down if need be. As she waited for the water to heat, she looked at everyone around the table one by one.

Everyone was upset to one degree or another, thought some were angry and others were deeply concerned for Harry's well being.

When the tea was ready she joined the group at the table. Aberforth was the first to speak, "Moody, we need to know where you stand on this?"

Moody was silent for a moment before speaking. "It's not that I don't sympathize with Potter, it's just that it puts me in a difficult position," he growled, irritably.

"I certainly don't want to see him returned to his relatives, that much is for sure, but if I don't tell Dumbledore something, things could get a little uncomfortable for me," he added with a frown.

Tonks looked at him disgustedly but didn't say anything.

Moody noticed her look, "Don't look at me like that, Nymphadora," he said, defensively.

Everyone could see Tonks get angrier but she still kept herself under control. "It's as plain as the half a nose on your face," she said hotly to him.

Aberforth had a difficult time in stifling his chuckle, earning him a swat on the arm from Minerva, who looked at him disapprovingly.

It was Minerva who took a calmer path, "The thing is, do we really need to keep Harry's location a secret any longer?"

Everyone stopped what they were doing, and stared at Minerva. Arthur looked thoughtful for a moment and said, "That's right, Harry is legally our ward and this is now his home. Maybe it's time to let Albus find out where Harry is so we can deal with it."

That started a conversation around the table, by twos and threes that were ever changing they discussed the pros and cons of letting Albus learn of Harry's location.

Slowly they came to a consensus, Aberforth being the lone hold out for letting Moody let Albus know where Harry was.

"Damn meddler, I still think you should keep him in the dark, there is no telling the lengths he'll go to get Harry back under his control," Aberforth said darkly. He still hadn't forgiven Albus for the death of Arianna.

Now that a course of action had been agreed upon, everyone cooled down and things were much more amiable.

Though Moody wasn't going to part of the core group protecting Harry, he promised that he would do everything in his power to keep Harry safe. This pleased Tonks though she was still a little miffed for him calling her Nymphadora.

The conversation then turned to Minerva and Aberforth. Aberforth took it in stride though Minerva blushed several times, most uncharacteristically. She took the ribbing with good humour and even got some of her own digs in too, mostly at Moody.

He, of course, wasn't phased in the slightest and laughed along with the rest of them. It was while Tonks and Minerva were discussing men, that Moody took a good look around the table. He was pleased with what he saw, a good solid core group with a common goal. He could see them already becoming a tight knit bunch that would be fiercely loyal, very protective and a force to be reckoned with.

With a smile, he rose and said his good nights, telling them he wouldn't be telling Albus anything for at least two weeks, he had a little fishing trip planned and was going to get away from it all for a while.

**XX HP + GW XX**

**A/N: Well the long awaited identity of Minerva's "Friend" has been revealed. Those of you who gave correct guesses can stop by the nearest branch of Gringott's to collect their prize money. Just say you are a Love Story Prize winner and you will be paid, but fair warning, I will be giving them a list of all those who submitted a correct guess, if you aren't on that list and try to collect, I will not be held responsible for what the Goblins do to you.**

**If you insist on trying, I suggest you have your affairs in order and an up to date will.**

**As always, your reviews are greatly appreciated.**


	14. Decisions, Decisions

**Harry and Ginny: A Love Story**

**Chapter 14: Decisions, Decisions**

Albus Dumbledore sat at his desk, finally caught up with the mountain of paperwork that the end of the school year had generated. Now he could turn his attention to more important matters.

Probably the most important was the questions raised by how Harry and Ginny had described the way that Tom Riddle's Diary had acted. There were very few spells that could cause what had manifested itself down in the Chamber of Secrets.

In fact there was only one that fulfilled all the requirements. Tom Riddle had created a Horcrux and what troubled Albus the most was what the meaning was of how the diary seemed to have been meant to be used.

It was obvious it was intended to be found and used by someone to open the Chamber, and if that was the case, it implied that there needed to be at least one more. By letting it be found and used, implied that it was expendable, because you were letting it out of your control, were it would be vulnerable to destruction just as it had been.

That was unless the person creating it was extremely stupid, and if Riddle was anything, he certainly wasn't stupid. He had been a brilliant student while at Hogwarts and nothing indicated that anything changed after he left.

What troubled him most was that he was certain that Riddle would not have relied on just one or two Horcruxes, he would have wanted to increase the odds of his chances of survival. With one being expendable that meant there had to be at least two more.

And if two, why stop there, the more he made the better the chances of survival. But there had to be a practical limit to the number that could be made and still be able to remain human. It was a matter of the amount of soul that was in each one. The first Horcrux would contain half of one's soul and the other half still in the body. The next one would be a half of a half or one quarter of the soul, the following a half of a quarter and so on.

This, in effect made it a simple mathematical question. Albus rose and when to the bookshelf near his desk, where after looking at a number of the ancient tomes ensconced there, he pulled several down and returned to his desk.

It took several hours of research and much figuring with Arithmancy before he came up with an answer. The most a soul could be divided was seven times and even that would be dangerous, with the last soul fragment left in the body being close to being unstable.

This helped explain to Albus why Riddle had become more and more monstrous as his reign of terror went on and also made him sure that the number of Horcuxes was probable six or seven. Seven being a very powerful magical number, so it was Albus' guess the Riddle had made six Horcuxes and with the piece that remained in him, he would have the seven pieces of his soul.

Albus leaned back in his chair, staring up into nothingness while he contemplated what he knew about the man, Tom Marvolo Riddle.

He was one of the more brilliant students to come through Hogwarts in the last century and he was a very private person even then. He rarely divulged any information about himself unless he absolutely had to.

Albus remembered meeting him for the first time in the orphanage, long ago which brought back to mind his perchance for collecting trophies for when he preformed what he thought was an extraordinary piece of magic.

At the orphanage it had been mundane things that reminded him of his victims, but in the magical world, Albus knew he's never be satisfied with that. He had, after all, created a persona for himself, Lord Voldemort, exhibiting delusions of grander.

Albus then turned his mind back to the Diary and what had transpired. The message referencing him being the heir of Slytherin and that brought back the memory of Riddle's fascination with all the founders. He recalled that several of the other teachers had remarked that he was doubly interested in knowing if objects of the Founders still existed.

This Albus found intriguing, and he was pretty sure that Riddle would have wanted to possess any that he could find. Albus spun his chair and looked at the two objects that were the only know items of Godric Gryffindor that remained, his sword and the sorting hat. If Riddle had wanted items from all four Founders, he would have failed to possess one from Gryffindor.

This still left three Founders that he could have tracked down items that they had once possessed. This warranted further investigation and he knew it was going to be a time consuming endeavour. Just what he needed when his free time was something of a rare commodity, but it needed to be done and it wasn't something he felt he could ask another to perform. No the less that knew about the fact that Riddle had made any Horcruxes at all, the better. Secrets where kept when the fewest people necessary knew about them and the fewest people in this case was one.

His mind then turned to Harry and where could he be. He was the key to everything and without him things looked bleak indeed.

Albus sighed, so many things to keep juggling and he wondered how long he'd be able to continue doing so before it all came crashing down around him.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Alastor Moody paused at the door, looking very thoughtful. "Before I go, I was wondering about something Ginevra said."

"What's that?" asked Minerva.

"It was while she was comforting Harry. She said something about only getting his emotions right then. A very curious thing for a eleven year old to say, don't you think?" Moody asked quietly. "And then the curious fact of her saying that she and Harry were going to be sleeping together to Molly and she didn't raise an objection."

He was watching their faces closely and when he looked a Molly he knew he'd hit pay dirt.

Minerva could tell that Moody knew something, that someone had inadvertently given something away. "Damn him for his inquisitive mind," she thought. "That along with his attention to detail, it had served him wonderfully as an Auror, but right now it was a royal pain in the arse."

"All right Alastor," Minerva said stoically. "You're right, there is something more going on with Harry and Ginny. Someone with your background and experience should be able to figure it out."

"Ah!" Moody said with a smile. "A challenge. I never backed away from one and I'm not going to start now.

Mad-eye looked thoughtful for a couple moments and everyone was waiting expectantly for him to say something. Slowly his face took on a smile and he looked at the assemblage, "They've Bonded in some manner," he stated matter-of-factually.

Molly and Arthur looked astounded, Tonks had a more of a neutral look, like she knew he'd probably work it out, but maybe not so soon. Minerva and Aberforth looked annoyed at him, wishing that he'd never figured it out.

"That's right Alastor," Minerva confirmed, letting her displeasure tinge her reply.

He was quiet for another moment before he said "Good for them, though they are quite young to have Bonded, it's not unheard of and it couldn't have happened to two nicer kids."

He then waved, said his good nights again and turned towards the door once again, a smile on his face. In a moment he was gone, leaving a slightly stunned group sitting at the table.

Molly got up and made a fresh pot of tea and laid out a couple of plates of biscuits. She sat down rather heavily, like she was getting exhausted by the nights events. She looked sadly around the table and said tiredly, "Well since Mad-eye brought it up and it was the reason I asked you to dinner Minerva, I'm looking for help dealing with Ginny and Harry sleeping together."

Tonks looked a bit like she thought she was out of place and she rose also. "I really should be going Molly," she said with a smile.

"Must you?" Molly asked, kind of hoping the young woman would stay and give her perspective on things.

"Yeah, I have an early shift tomorrow and it's a killer if I don't get enough sleep before hand," the young Auror said with a smile.

"Well just remember you're welcome here at any time and now that you're part of the family, I expect you to eat here often young lady," Molly said with a grin.

Tonks hugged Molly tightly, "Thanks Molly, I'll be sure to do that, though I may have to go on some kind of extra training program, I don't want to loose my girlish figure."

"You have nothing to worry about dear, most young women try to keep themselves much to thin," the Weasley matriarch replied.

Rolling her eyes, Tonks said, "Yes Mum"

"Don't you yes Mum me, young lady," Molly replied, but she was smiling as she did so.

After one last round of good byes and hugs from everyone the young Auror left.

"Well back to the matter at hand," Arthur said.

"How long has their sleeping together been going on?" Minerva asked.

"I just caught them last night and if I read things correctly, it hasn't been going on long at all, maybe at the most a couple of nights, but last night might have been the first one as well," Molly explained.

"I see," said Minerva thoughtfully, "and I assume you've had a discussion with them about this?"

Arthur nodded his head, "Yes we talked this morning," and then with a disapproving look at Molly, who looked slightly embarrassed, "Though things got a little heated and we didn't get anything resolved."

It was Aberforth who asked the next question. "Did they give a reason for sleeping together?"

Molly looked irritably at him, "What difference does that make, they're only kids!"

Aberforth looked placidly at Molly, "It might mean a big difference. Was this some whim of theirs or was there a reason for it."

Arthur placed a hand on Molly's arm as she got ready to reply angrily. "Ginny and Harry said it was because of the nightmares they've been having," he said softly, glancing sorrily at Molly.

Aberforth nodded but didn't say anything at that time, it looked like he was evaluating what had been said.

Minerva looked concerned, "Nightmares? What kind of nightmares?" she asked with great concern.

"I, ah, . . .well the truth is we didn't ask," Molly said contritely. "Do you think it's really relevant?" she asked half-heartedly, like she knew what Minerva's answer was even before she said anything.

"Yes I think it could be very relevant," Minerva said, keeping her tone neutral, not wishing to upset Molly any more than she currently was.

"I agree with Minerva," Aberforth said seriously. "If what has been said about Harry's and Ginny's past is true then their nightmares are probably well past anything that kids their ages normally have. I mean if they are serious enough for them to seek solace in the arms of their Bond-mate, I think they are terrifying indeed, so terrifying that an adult would have difficulty in dealing with them."

Everyone looked at Aberforth, appraising what he had said. Maybe the nightmares mattered greatly in the decision that they made to sleep together.

Arthur looked around, "Is there really any reason that they shouldn't sleep together? I mean they are only elven and twelve."

"While that is true now Arthur, they won't remain so. The problem will come as they get older and adolescent hormones begin to kick in," Minerva said with a thin smile.

"Yes, saying yes now and then in a few years trying to say no will be a huge challenge and you'd probably have a bigger fight on your hands than the one you are having now," said Aberforth.

Molly sighed, looking quite forlorn. "I just don't know," she said quietly. "I really think no is the right answer but the things I heard about what Harry and Ginny have been through just breaks my heart and I don't want to cause them any more pain than they've been through already."

"Yes," Aberforth said. "Which is the right answer, and the problem being you might not know till you pick one and see the results, though the real results may not be evident for many years."

Aberforth's comment made Molly look even more troubled than she already was. What was the right answer when either or neither could be the right one, depending on how things turned out.

Aberforth looked thoughtful again, "Could the Bond be a factor, I mean could it be compelling them to be together?"

Molly sighed and looked resigned, "That is a possibility. They always seem to be at least near each other if not touching. They are constantly holding hands, or Harry having his arm around Ginny's shoulders and if sitting together in the evenings they are usually snuggled tightly together."

Aberforth and Minerva exchanged glances, and Minerva then said "Then this may be all a useless discussion."

"Have you considered putting a alarm charm on one of their bedroom doors?" Minerva asked.

Aberforth frowned, "The problem with that is if it is discovered by them that you could alienate one or both of them. The damage to their trust could be irreparable."

"That is our thought," Arthur said sadly. "We have always trusted our children and feel if we break that trust then it could do much more harm than good. Plus once it is broken, it is extremely hard to fix, sometimes impossible."

Minerva nodded, "Granted that is a possible out come if you take that route."

Aberforth looked at them and said, "As much as I enjoyed giving my opinion, it is really up to you three as Harry's guardians and you Molly and Arthur as Ginny's parents to make that decision." He smiled at them and added, "I don't envy any of you your positions, so if you'll excuse me, I'll just take a kip out back and let you three hash it out." He then pulled a cigar from inside his robes and proceeded to exit through the back door.

The three remaining at the table watched him go, all of them wishing they were in his position. The problem was a difficult one and one that may have no real correct answer. The strict moral answer was to prohibit them from sleeping together, but it could also be said it could be morally wrong to keep them apart because of the circumstances that they each had suffered through. Two children that had experienced horrors that no one should have to had endured, no matter what the age.

Arthur looked at the two women sitting at the table with him, "Well, what's it to be?" he asked quietly, his voice low and sad. He then looked at Molly, regret on his face, "I know what I would do if it were up to me alone, I would do what my heart says is right, no matter what anyone else might think."

Molly looked crest-fallen and she knew Arthur's decision without having to ask. She looked forlornly at Minerva and said, "Well it looks like it's up to you Minerva."

Minerva McGonagall sat there looking from one to the other, she too knew what was in her heart. She smiled wanly, thinking that even though Albus could be a conniving bastard, he did get some things right after all. There was always room for more love in the world.

"Let them be together," she said softly, a touch of sadness in her eyes, "and we'll deal with things as we need to."

**XX HP + GW XX**

The Twins sat huddled on the floor. They had discovered that there was a space that ran up inside the wall that let them hear conversations that took place in the kitchen. It was one of their secret weapons that they used to get information on their siblings.

They had not expected to hear much because the adults and Harry and Ginny had gone into the parlour. They decided to check on the chance that things would be discussed once the official "Talk" was completed.

George had been coming back from the loo when he heard Harry and Ginny come up the stairs, they being just one flight below them. That's when he and Fred decided to check to see if they could hear anything. They had learned that after their parents were done with whomever they were dealing with the odds were about fifty – fifty that they would sit at the kitchen table and discuss what had happened.

Tonight they had hit pay dirt and right at the moment were sitting there stunned. "Little Gin-Gin and Harry sleeping together! This was monumental!

Carefully returning the cover they had fashioned to keep their secret listening post hidden, they then returned and sat on their beds.

"Well, that's certainly a shocker," Fred said, in awe.

"I have to agree, my esteemed brother of mine," answered George.

"No wonder Mum's been in a fine fit today," mused Fred.

"Yeah, she had that stern but weepy face on all day today," chuckled George, "I knew she was concerned about Ginny and Harry but. . ."

". . . . I hope that things turn out for our little sprite and her chosen one," Fred said.

They sat there for a while, both had grins on their faces and every so often they'd look at each other and chuckle. Then they both frowned.

"Hey Fred."

"What George?"

"We need to do something to help Ginny and Harry."

"I was just thinking the same thing."

"If they're having nightmares that bad. . . "

"Then they must be really bad."

The two Twins, both got thoughtful, both trying to come up with something really spectacular that would help Ginny and by association, Harry.

First one's face would light up and they'd look at the other, but then they'd shake their heads, then it was the other one's turn to do the same. This happened about half a dozen time before they both said "I've got it!"

"Think it will work?" asked George.

"Even if not, it will still be fun," answered Fred.

Both Twins had satisfied looks on their faces, they had an idea, now all they needed was a way to pull it off. Deciding that Ginny''s and Harry's need would warrant something so big.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Minerva slipped out the back door and found Aberforth sitting on the porch swing. He was savouring his cigar and rocking gently. It was a fine June night and both found it very peaceful. Insects were chirping and buzzing, a few bats were hunting their dinners, the moon hung high in the sky providing a gentle light to see by and a gentle breeze was just strong enough to make it very comfortable.

Minerva sat down next to Aberforth who wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her tight into his side.

She sighed as she rested her head on his shoulder, "I hope we're doing the right thing," she said softly.

"Ah," Aberforth said with a sad grin, "The right thing. So easy to say and think you know but in the end, does anyone truly know what is the right decision. What may be right for someone could just as equally be wrong for someone else."

"Better be careful, you're starting to sound like Albus," Minerva grinned at him.

"Woman! You wound me!" he said, theatrically clutching his heart.

Minerva ignored his actions and looked up at the stars and the moon. "It's so peaceful here," she said softly. "Sometimes I wish I was still that young lass, growing up in Scotland, without all the pressures to do so much, without all the cares and worries that an adult must bear."

"Aye, that would be nice, sometimes I wish things were like that too. That my father and mother were still alive and all I had to worry about was how to tease my sister," he said sadly. "But that isn't possible and it falls onto us to do what we think is right when called upon to do so."

Minerva looked at Aberforth, "Becoming quite the sage, aren't you?" she said with a smile.

Aberforth shrugged, "If expounding what you've learned from years of hard experience is being a sage, then I guess I am."

They both fell silent again and just rocked gently. They heard the door open and Molly and Arthur joined them on the porch. Both were carrying two glasses filled with an amber liquid.

Minerva began to rise to let them have their swing.

"Stay where you are Minerva," Molly said lightly as she and Arthur each gave a glass to Minerva and Aberforth. They then sat down on the bench that was also there on the porch.

"Beautiful night," said Arthur, looking up into the night sky.

"Yes it is," agreed Aberforth.

The all sat quietly for a few moments sipping their Old Ogden's. "I know you're worried Molly, but I think it's really the best thing for now," Minerva said softly.

Molly smiled a little at the older witch. "I guess so," she replied. "It's just that I've never had to make such a hard decision before. I mean with the boys nothing like this ever came up."

"Thank Godric," Arthur muttered, causing everyone to chuckle.

"Yeah, I'd hate to have to make a decision like that for more than one child," Aberforth said.

Murmurs of agreement were heard all around.

Aberforth looked up once again into the sky, "I feel that something is going to happen soon. It's something I just can't shake and I don't know why or what's causing it."

"You've always been more intuitive Ab," Minerva said softly. "Unlike Albus who has to calculate everything to the n'th degree, you seem to be able to come up with the answers without all that fuss."

"Just how long have you two been seeing each other, if you don't mind my asking?" Molly said inquisitively.

Aberforth looked at Minerva expectantly. She looked back into his eyes for a moment before looking over at the Weasleys. "It been just over five years," she replied bashfully.

"Why haven't you said anything before?" Molly asked.

Before Minerva could answer, Arthur spoke up. "I can see two reasons," he said dolefully. "One being that as a single woman, the old phonies, I mean cronies on the Hogwarts Board would have never allowed you to remain there and the other is probably none other than Aberforth's brother, if I'm not mistaken."

Minerva looked at him with a new respect, "Why Arthur, what a keen mind you have, why don't you display it more often?"

Arthur laughed, "Well for one thing when you do so people keep expecting it, and another is it's much easier to remain in the background so once and a while I can astound my friends and family."

Everyone chuckled with him, and he smiled. "I prefer to keep things simple. Home, family, friends. Become to well known for your "Keen Mind" as you put it Minerva, and the next thing you know your life isn't your own. No thank you. I may not have many Galleons but I think I am a fairly rich man in what I do have."

Aberforth looked at Arthur with a new found respect, though they hadn't had much direct contact, Aberforth knew a lot of what went on at the Ministry because of contacts that he had developed over the years.

The name of Arthur Weasley was one that people held in high regard. He was a man of his word and known as one of the tireless workers who got things done without a lot of self grandiose flattery, trying to make a name for himself, he just quietly got the job that needed doing, done.

The two couples remained on the porch till quite late, or early depending on how you looked at it. Often nothing was said, or at times they talked and laughed about much that was taking place in the Wizarding World. Much like Aberforth, Arthur knew allot that went on at the Ministry but remained in the background.

When they finally broke up, it was a much closer group of people, ones that knew, liked and respected the others and that they'd do almost anything to help each other.

**XX HP + GW XX**

In the top most room of the Burrow, Ron lay staring at the ceiling, his hands behind his head as he thought about what he had heard today.

His surprise at Harry being under restriction being the thing he was thinking about the most and as much as he didn't like it, it seemed he had been wrong about how Harry was being treated.

Deep inside, Ron knew that Harry was a decent guy and was a wonderful addition to the family, it was just that it made it seem harder to get any recognition with an additional male to compete with.

Ron's inner turmoil did nothing to calm his anxiety and the anger he felt at his position in the family. Sure it wasn't Harry's fault that he was the number six son and had the reputations of five older brothers to live up to, but it didn't help any either.

If asked his parents would have said that Ron always had a difficult time with the feeling that he didn't measure up to his older brother's standings. In doing so he ignored his own fine qualities and concentrated on what his brothers had been good at.

Ron had a quick and clever mind, he excelled at chess which showed he had a talent for quickly assessing a situation and coming up with a plan to act upon. He also had a rather good sense of humour, and though different from the Twins brand of mayhem, he could be quite funny when he wanted to be.

The one thing that worried his parents most was, Ron's fascination or rather obsession with money. It seemed that no matter what he had he wanted more and he moaned and complained fiercely about the family's financial state. Though he really didn't want for any necessity he always looked disapprovingly at what the family had.

To Ron, the fact that most of their things were second hand and sometimes not in the best shape was a disgrace and something he thought should be corrected, failing to see what they actually had for what it meant.

This was probably Arthur's greatest regret, that his son didn't see that money couldn't buy happiness or love and in some ways too much money brought just the opposite.

Though it pained him some to admit it, Ron knew that he had been unfair to Harry and through him Ginny as well. He wasn't sure quite how to go about mending that situation but he promised himself he would at least try.

Once he had made his decision, he rolled over and drifted off to sleep, not aware that what he was attempting to do would be the biggest, hardest thing to do in his short life. One didn't just decide to change their core beliefs, it would take hard work and a firm commitment to accomplish what he was setting out to do. And if any of his family had known, they probably would be betting against him, because he rarely had the fortitude to carry through on such difficult endeavours.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Percy was trying very hard to get to sleep, he had another interview at the Ministry the next day and he wanted to be at his very best.

Rolling over he tried very hard to not let the buzzing voices floating through his open window keep him awake. It wasn't that he could actually hear what was being said, it was the fact that there was some noise at all.

Turning over the other way and trying to wrap his pillow around his head to block out the sounds he was hearing. He found that the effort of holding his pillow tightly against the side of his head, while still trying to lay on half of it, was an impossible thing to accomplish.

Cursing silently to himself he began to desperately recite passages from the Ministry Handbook to himself. He was quite pleased that he had committed most of it to memory and he had vowed to himself that before he was employed there he would have the complete book memorized.

Somehow his thoughts turned to Harry Potter and though he had grown up with hearing the stories about him, he wasn't one to put much credence to them, after all they were kid's stories. True there must be some basis for the stories but Percy was a Pragmatist, he just couldn't believe that someone could survive the killing curse. It was supposed to be unstoppable and the most powerful curse ever invented.

To Percy it was inconceivable that a child not even two years old could have somehow survived a curse of such magnitude and killed the most powerful Dark Wizard in over 500 years, and maybe as far back as Salazar Slytherin himself.

To him there had to be a sound basis for something to be believable. He remembered growing up and asking everyone he could about how it could have been done and he always got the same answer, "That's the thing, nobody knows!".

To a young Percy that meant it was impossible, if no one knew it just couldn't be and that was all there was to it. Not that he found Harry to be brash or egotistical, he was a nice enough kid and was very polite and unassuming. It was just the mystique that had grown up around the name.

He hadn't shown any extraordinary talent or power at school as far as he knew and being a prefect he was sure he would have heard something if he had.

Well there were some rumours that he had heard concerning the events of Harry saving Ginny but he was sure that they had been exaggerated, how could a twelve year old kill a sixty foot Basilisk, let alone fight off some weird kind of re-emerging embodiment of the Dark Lord.

Ludicrous! Was all Percy could say to that. He was sure that if that had really taken place somebody in authority would have said something to the students.

No to Percy, the myths and legends that surrounded the name of Harry Potter were just that, myths and legends, nothing more.

And with that Percy drifted off to sleep, his mind once more turning to reciting the Ministry Handbook.

**XX HP + GW XX**

**A/N: Well I seem to be on a Muse driven tear writing this story. I'm sure none of you are complaining. **

**OK dear readers, time for fame and fortune again. I need your input, what should the Twins do, 1) Do they prank Percy to help cheer up Harry and Ginny, or 2) Prank themselves to cheer them up or 3) Prank Harry and Ginny, but in a fun way to cheer them up.**

**And as always I love hearing from you so please review. **


	15. Battle of Wills: The Second Round

**Harry and Ginny: A Love Story**

**Chapter 15: Battle of Wills-The Second Round  
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Molly sat in the kitchen after Arthur had left for the Ministry, thinking hard about the conversation from the previous evening. Though she had reluctantly agreed last night to allow Ginny and Harry to sleep together, she found that in the morning light, it still seemed wrong to her.

Taking a deep breath she decided to make another try at getting Ginny to see what she thought was reason. Though not a religious woman, Molly considered herself a moral one and she couldn't in good conscious allow Ginny and Harry to sleep together till the bonding ceremony had taken place.

She only wanted what she considered the best for her daughter and if that didn't coincide with what others thought, well so be it, but as long as she had anything to do with the raising of the children, they would be raised correctly.

She heard people moving upstairs and from the sounds of it Ginny and Harry were awake. Steeling herself, Molly prepared herself for the coming confrontation, because if Ginny hadn't changed her mind, Molly knew she was in for another trying time.

Percy was the first person to come down for breakfast and Molly could tell by the way he was dressed, he'd be leaving for the Ministry right after he ate. She worried about him, his ambition was his biggest fault as far as Molly was concerned. Not that she thought all ambition was bad, but when it became an obsession like it had for Percy, she was sure that it would lead to nothing but trouble. He seemed ready to sacrifice anything and everything to get ahead at the Ministry.

"Good Morning, Mother," he said, rather formally.

"Good Morning, Percy," Molly replied. "Do you want some breakfast before you go?"

"Just some tea and toast. I don't want to be late, I'm supposed to find out today about the internship," he said, as he sat rigidly.

Molly poured his tea and started his toast and as she waited for it to get done, Ginny and Harry came down and joined them.

"Good morning Ginny, good morning Harry, Sleep well?" she asked pleasantly.

Ginny eyed her mother warily, "Yes mother," she replied a bit coldly.

"Quite well," Harry added softly.

Molly served Percy his toast and noticed he seemed to be trying his best not to acknowledge Ginny's and Harry's presence.

Ginny eyed him with a frown, she could tell that Percy didn't approve of her relationship with Harry but she didn't care what he thought, to her he was nothing but a stuck up prat.

The atmosphere was charged with tension and finally Percy stood up, leaving half his breakfast uneaten. "I must get going, Mother, I want to make a good impression by getting there a little early."

"Well good luck, Percy. I know how much it means to you," Molly said, giving him a thin smile.

Molly watched him leave and she hoped that he was able to learn that position and status weren't everything and that his family was very important too, she just hoped that it wasn't to late.

"_Did you see that look Percy the Prat gave us?"_

"_Yes Ginny, I did. I guess he doesn't approve of me or our relationship," _Harry sent back, his disappointment evident.

"_I think it's more the relationship, he's never said anything against you but I know he has very strict ideas about what is appropriate," _Ginny replied.

Harry was about to reply, when Molly came over and sat down. Ginny didn't like the look on her mothers face and she knew that they were about have another "discussion", as her mother would say.

"Harry, Ginny, I was hoping that now that you've had some time to think about things that you're ready to see things in a different light," Molly said, as affably as possible.

Harry heard Ginny take a deep breath, not so much to calm herself but to ready herself for the disagreement that was to come.

"Mother," Ginny said, her voice taking on an edge. "I see no reason to change my position. Harry and I are as good as married in the eyes of the Ministry so I see no reason that we can't share the same bed. For Godric's sake, we've told you we just do it to stop the nightmares. Do you really want us to suffer if we can prevent it?"

Molly looked troubled but no less determined. "I'm sure we can come up with an alternative to you two sleeping together," she said, her voice beginning to rise in volume.

"Oh and what might that be?" Ginny said, her voice rising to match her mothers.

"Maybe it would be best if you two saw a Mind Healer at St, Mungo's!" Molly said more as a statement than a suggestion.

"Oh is that how you see us?" Ginny said, bitterly. "Deranged just because we want to be together?"

Harry was silent, watching the exchange take place. It hurt him to see Molly and Ginny fighting but in his heart he knew that he and Ginny needed to be together. He knew instinctively that there was more to it than just combating the nightmares. He was sure that the Bond had much more to do with it and one of the results was the suppression of the bad dreams.

"Please Mrs. Weasley," he implored. "It's much more complicated than you think. It isn't just some whim of ours, can't you see that?" his eyes full of hurt and disappointment.

Molly looked exasperated, "No, I'm sorry, I can't say that I do. All I see is an eleven year old and a twelve year old saying that they need to sleep together. It just isn't proper. It will only lead to more complications later on." She then shook her head, "It's best to get this under control now, it will only be harder in the future," she said adamantly.

Ginny's anger was now just below the surface and Harry could feel it coming off his Bond-mate in waves. He was worried that something would happen, that Ginny would have some kind of episode of accidental magic, like he had experienced growing up. Things usually happened when he was scared, upset or angry, and if Ginny was anything at the moment, it was angry.

Harry also noticed that Ginny's eyes were beginning to fill with tears of frustration. She couldn't make her mother understand just how important this was to them and unless Molly understood that fact, there would be no resolution of the conflict.'

"I will not go to St. Mungo's!" Ginny stated emphatically. "Neither will Harry!" she added.

Even though he hadn't said anything, Ginny had stated just what he thought and believed. He believed that there was too much danger in allowing someone to go poking around inside his head. No, that was something he would fight tooth and nail to avoid and he'd fight just as hard to keep Ginny from under going the same thing.

"_Ginny, please try and calm down," _Harry sent, concerned for his Bond-mate. "_I'm here and support you 100 percent. Together we can do this."_

Harry felt Ginny relax some and she seemed to get a little better control over herself. "_Thanks Harry, I don't know what I'd do with out you."_

Harry just couldn't help himself, smiling he sent, "_Without me, you wouldn't be having this fight with your mother."_

Ginny looked at him as he smiled at her. She tried desperately to stop, but she couldn't and she began to giggle, and as she did, it triggered Harry. The next thing they knew, both were laughing at what he had said.

The problem was since it was through their Bond, Molly didn't hear it, "So you two think this is funny, do you?" she said, her anger getting the best of her.

"Well that's it, both of you go to your rooms, and I mean separate rooms. I know I can't keep you from speaking together, but I sure as hell can keep you apart!" Molly said emphatically.

Ginny got a shocked look on her face, and her anger returned in full force. "You just don't get it do you?" she yelled.

"What don't I get?" asked a bewildered Molly.

Ginny looked at her mother, pure hatred in her eyes, "If you don't know, I'm not going to explain it to you. You think you're so smart, figure it out!"

Molly was shocked by Ginny's outburst. She saw both Ginny and Harry looking at her with loathing in their eyes. Without another word, both got up and went upstairs to their rooms, knowing that Molly would be checking to see if they had complied with her punishment.

Once they got to the landing where their rooms were, Harry and Ginny hugged fiercely. They both then entered their respective rooms, Ginny slamming her door as hard as she could. She threw herself on her bed and immediately, called out to Harry.

"_Well that went well!" _she sent in frustration.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Fred and George were just coming down the stairs when Ginny slammed her door shut with a force that surprised the Twins. Looking at each other they knew that already this morning things were not going well in the Weasley household.

They tentatively entered the kitchen, looking warily at their Mother.

"Hey Mum, is it safe to come into the kitchen?" Fred asked.

"Yeah Mum, we heard Ginny slam her door and we thought the wall was gong to collapse," added George.

Molly took a deep breath, trying very hard not to let her anger at Ginny colour her interactions with her other children.

"I'm sure you're exaggerating," she said to George.

The Twins noticed how sad their mother sounded and they knew that things were not going well and that it was probably best to keep a low profile for a bit.

"Well maybe a bit Mum, but I've never heard a door slammed that hard, I'm surprised it's still standing," George said softly.

"Yeah Mum, I'm sure the walls were shaking," Fred added.

Molly took another deep breath, feeling totally frustrated with how things had gone. She knew she was going to have a problem with Arthur that night and she wasn't looking forward to that conversation.

"What would you like for breakfast boys," she asked, her voice laden with melancholy.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Hermione was laying in her room, totally bored. Sighing, she though how she just didn't seem to relate to her parents that much any more. She knew she still loved them, but they were growing apart more and more as she learned more about the magical world. She realized that most if not all prodigies and super smart people must feel the same way. They just didn't have as much in common any more and it was only going to get worse, the older she got and the more magic she learned.

She was also thinking hard about Harry and Ginny and how close they had become at the end of the year. Thinking about it, she knew that they had become exceedingly close from when Harry rescued Ginny from the Chamber, right up until they departed from King's Cross Station.

It was certainly a puzzle to Hermione, and the one thing she hated was an unfinished puzzle. She knew she wasn't going to get any answers if she stayed at home with her parents so coming to a decision, she took out a piece of parchment and began to write a note.

_Dear Ron,_

_I was wondering how your summer was going. I'm totally bored here, I just can't seem to relate to my parents like I have in the past. It seems the deeper I become immersed in the Wizarding World, the further apart we become._

_Have you heard from Harry yet? I didn't see his Muggle relatives arrive to pick him up. I certainly hope he's OK._

_I was wondering if maybe I could come and stay at the Burrow for a while, I'd hate to get totally behind in magic and I think staying in a magical house-hold would be quite exciting._

_Well I'm going to close now, the only way to post this is if I get my Dad to take me to Diagon Alley._

_Sincerely,_

_Hermione_

Getting up she made her way into the living-room to ask her parents for ride to London and the magical market.

"Hey Dad, do you think I can get a ride into London? I need to post something," Hermione said to her Dad.

Without tearing his eyes away from the telly, her farther answered lowly, "Sure thing princess."

Hermione sighed, "She hated to be called princess, it was something her dad had started when she was four. She had long ago out grown the game associated with his use of that term.

Returning to her room she started paging through her old textbooks, hoping that they would start some more complex and difficult magic.

Sighing once more, she knew she'd have to wait till the next day before she could send the owl and probably at least an other day before she could expect a reply. That was if Ron remembered to send it at all,

**XX HP + GW XX**

The day drug by for Harry and Ginny, while they could talk through their Bond they weren't allowed to see one another and though it was infinitely better than being sent to their rooms alone and not being able to talk at all, it wasn't like being together.

They passed the time by telling each other stories, mainly about their childhoods. Harry usually talking about some small thing that he had found to be interesting as opposed to Ginny, who had many more that were truly hilarious than Harry did. Both the Twins and Ron thought it was exceptionally odd when they went by Harry's and Ginny's rooms to hear them both laughing hysterically, each in their own room, across the hall from one another.

It wasn't till Arthur came home and Molly was getting dinner ready that the first signs of the discord arose.

Arthur had sat down at the table, enjoying a nice glass of ale while reading the _Evening Prophet_, when he asked "Molly dear, how did Ginny and Harry reacted to you telling them they were allowed to sleep together?"

Molly was at the stove and she hoped that Arthur would just think that she hadn't heard him and she made an effort to make as much noise as possible, while trying to sound like she really wasn't.

Arthur was by no means a stupid man and he could tell that Molly was specifically ignoring his question. "Molly dear, How did things go with Ginny and Harry?" he asked a bit louder.

Molly knew that she couldn't ignore her husband the second time, she would have had to have been stone deaf not to hear him.

"Well, I. . . .Ah, that is, you see I thought I'd give it one more try to, well you know, convince Ginny to see reason," Molly said lowly, feeling slightly guilty about changing her mind.

"Molly! Are you telling me that after last night's agreement you went ahead and told them they couldn't sleep together?" he asked incredulously.

Molly paused to drain the potatoes, before answering. "Well, yes, you could say that," she said rather sheepishly.

"Molly, what in the world got into you?" Arthur asked, disappointedly.

Molly sat down at the table, almost in tears. "I'm sorry, I just thought that maybe I could make them see reason," she said hesitantly.

Arthur sighed and slumped a little in his chair, "Where are they?" he asked softly.

"They're in their rooms," Molly answered contritely.

Arthur took a deep breath to keep his temper from flaring, "You're saying that you punished them by having them stay in their rooms all day, when you had agreed last night to allow them to be together?"

Molly could only nod, feeling to drained to even speak.

"I'm extremely disappointed Molly. How can we instil the proper values in our children if we don't follow them ourselves," he asked dejectedly.

"I'm sorry Arthur," Molly said softly, "I only did what I thought was right."

Arthur said a little hotly, "I just hope you haven't alienated our daughter and her Bond-mate in the mean time." He got up and carefully folded the paper, "Please finish getting dinner on the table, I'll get the children."

"Yes Arthur," Molly said quietly.

Arthur went up the stairs, going all the way to Ron's room first, "Come on Ron, Dinners ready," he said to his youngest son.

Ron was a bit surprised to see his Dad calling him down to dinner, it rarely happened any more but when it did, it usually didn't bode well for someone in the house.

"Yes, Dad," he said, getting up right away, not wishing to feel his fathers displeasure.

Arthur stopped next at the Twins room, "Come boys, dinner."

Fred and George could tell something was up right away, "Dad is there anything we can do to help?" George said.

"Yeah Dad, just say the word and we'll be right there," Fred added.

Arthur nodded, "Thanks boys, but this isn't something you can help with. Just try to keep Ron occupied after dinner."

"Sure thing Dad," Fred answered, with a concurring nod from George.

"Right then, down to dinner," he said quietly.

Fred and George exchanged worried looks, they had never seen their father like he was right now. As they all exited the room, they saw Percy come out of his room and head down to the kitchen.

Arthur watched the Twins descend down the stairs as he stood on the landing between Harry's and Ginny's doors. He knocked softly on Harry's door first.

He heard a soft "Come in."

Taking a deep breath, he opened the door to Harry's room. He could tell Harry was slightly surprised to see him.

"Harry would you please accompany me to talk to Ginny?" he asked quietly.

Harry could sense that something was different, that Arthur was being quite conciliatory in his attitude. He got up off his bed and nodded, "Sure thing Mr. Weasley," he replied.

Arthur flinched at his continued use of Mr. Weasley instead of Arthur. It hurt him that so soon after his coming to live at the Burrow, there was already a widening chasm between him and Harry and Ginny.

They exited into the hall where Arthur knocked softly on Ginny's door. He waited but received no response.

"_Ginny, it's me and your Dad, please open up,"_ Harry sent.

They heard a soft, even "Come in."

Arthur opened the door and saw Ginny laying on her bed, a defiant look upon her face, her anger smouldering just below the surface as she eyed her father.

Arthur motioned for Harry to sit down with Ginny, and waited patiently while he did so. He took another deep breath, this conversation was going to be difficult and he knew that Ginny was going to be adverse to listening. He just hoped she would.

"I want you two, to know that things haven't been easy for Molly and me in all of this. It may not seem it but both of us only want what we think is best for you two."

He saw Ginny about to respond vehemently, "Please know that sometimes what we think may not be in agreement," he said sadly. "Your mother has put me in a very difficult position and you two are suffering because of it."

Harry and Ginny were listening intently now, wondering where Arthur was going with his talk.

"For right now, I'm not going to tell you two that you're allowed to sleep together," He said quietly. When he saw Ginny about to say something again, he added, "But I'm not going to tell you, you can't either."

He saw the perplexed look on their faces, and giving them a wan smile he said, "All I ask is that you be discreet and not flaunt it in Molly's face. Do we understand one another?" he asked, hopefully.

Harry was glad he felt the anger draining from Ginny, and though she was still not 100 percent calm, she knew that her father was doing his best for them.

"Thank you Dad," she said softly, as she got up and hugged him.

Arthur smiled a little more, "OK, lets get down to dinner, before your brothers finish it off."

Ginny took Harry's hand and they went down to dinner together, feeling better than they had been, but they knew it was was an uneasy truce that was still very fragile.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Alastor Moody woke up and smiled, he knew it was about dinner time and he knew Rosmerta had to be down in the pub by now. He hadn't felt this good in a long time and he vowed that he wouldn't let as much time pass between visits ever again.

He got up and got dressed, starting with his wooden leg. Once it was firmly attached he stood and found himself looking at himself in a full length mirror. He grinned wryly, time and his profession had not been particularly kind to him. He had numerous scars and missing pieces, his leg being the most prominent.

He fleeting thought of his younger self, before age, dark wizards and hard living had been so hard on his body, because even though it was battered and bruised, he didn't regret one moment of his life.

Laughing at himself and shaking his head, he growled out, "Must be getting sentimental in me old age."

He finished getting dressed and headed down to the pub. Sure enough Rosmerta was busy working, filling drinks and food orders. She may have been a little past her prime in some men's eyes but Alastor thought she was magnificent. Not only was she a hard working, industrious inn owner, she was still a vivacious woman who was a delight to share a bed with.

He had once considered asking her to marry but decided it would be unfair to her. He was gone more than he was around and that was no way to have a relationship. He knew he was lucky to have what he did with her.

Alastor took a seat at his favourite table in the back of the room. Rosmerta was over in a moment with a pint of ale and a glass of Old Ogden's. "I'll have your dinner in a moment," she said with a smile.

"You're an angel among women," he rasped with a smile.

"Go on ya, I bet you say that to all the woman you bed," she teased.

"Aye, you're right in that," He said with a grin, but to himself he added, "You're the only one I bed lass."

Rosmerta laughed and with a shake of her head, she headed off to take care of another customer.

He watch her work the room, flirting with the customers, both male and female, all in harmless fun he knew. She flattered and teased the patrons, and virtually every repeat customer loved her fun, open personality.

"Alastor Moody, you bloody fool," he said lowly to himself, "If you could do it all over again, you'd make different choices." He smiled sadly, but with a shake of his head as Rosmerta brought his food he laughed and began eating with gusto.

Not being in any hurry, he tarried in the pub, watching Rosmerta. He loved the graceful way she moved around the room, and though she was what he considered a "mature" woman, she still had the look about her. It was the way she held herself, full of self-confidence, still with an inner beauty that overshadowed the lines that were being to show. Not for the last time did he wish he had made a different choice long ago.

The crowd had thinned and Rosmerta came over and sat down with him, "So how long you staying this time, my fine handsome man?" she asked with a smile.

Alastor laughed, "Keep that up and they'll put you away for sure. Have you taken a good look at me lately?"

"Yes I have," she replied, there was laughter in her reply but if you listened closely you could hear the sincerity underlying her words.

Taking a sip of his ale he said, "Unfortunately I need to make myself scarce for a little while," his voice thick with regret. "I wish you could come with me lass," he said soberly.

Rosmerta eyed him sadly, "I wish I could come with you too."

They fell silent for a moment, the words unsaid hanging between them, both knowing what the other wanted to say, both knowing that they wouldn't.

"Take care of yourself, Alastor Moody, and come back soon, ya hear!" she said emotionally.

"That I will lass, that I will," he replied, his gravely voice also full of emotion.

Though both seemed reluctant to leave, they rose together, Rosmerta giving him one last kiss, "Something to keep you warm on the road," she whispered.

Alastor nodded, and wrapping his cloak about his, he headed off into the night, taking that "fishing trip" he had told the others about.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Dinner was a strangely quiet affair at the Burrow, the tension in the air seemed ready to burst at any moment. None of the Weasley boys wanted to be the one to set off the explosion that could erupt at any moment, so it was a rather sombre meal that evening.

Even the Twins who usually did just about anything to break the tension and liven things up were very subdued, watching their parents carefully because they could tell that was the major source of the tension.

They were also watching Ginny and Harry, something seemed different with them too, but neither Fred nor George could figure out what it was. Ron was of course oblivious to it all as he ate with single-minded focus. Percy just acted like it was all beneath him and not worthy of his attention.

Harry and Ginny finished eating at virtually the exact same time. "May we be excused," Ginny asked softly.

Molly just nodded, never making eye contact with her daughter. Harry and Ginny rose, put their plates and utensils in the sink and quietly went back upstairs. They went back up to Harry's room where they lay down together on the bed, Ginny reading her trashy Muggle romance story and Harry reading a Wizarding mystery novel.

He had found a couple down in the parlour and was enthralled by the richness of the stories, giving him insight into the Magical World. He was sure some of it had to be exaggerated, but it still gave him the flavour and nuances that he was lacking because he grew up in the Muggle world.

They had kicked off their trainers, but other than that they were fully clothed. They had been up there reading for about an hour when Molly came up and said softly, "Lights out in 30 minutes."

Ginny looked up briefly and replied, "Yes Mum," before going back to her book. They heard Molly sigh as she lingered for a moment at the door, before heading back down the stairs.

"_I'll come to your room tonight,"_ Harry sent to Ginny.

"_OK Harry, just wait till you're sure Mum and Dad have gone to bed,"_ Ginny replied, never taking her face out of her book.

Harry closed his book after marking his place, and he snuggled into Ginny's side. As he nuzzled her neck Ginny began to giggle, "_Stop that Harry, I'm trying to finish this chapter." _

Harry didn't say anything, he just nuzzled a little deeper into the hair covering Ginny's neck and shoulder, breathing deeply, taking in her heady fragrance, letting it calm and sooth him as he lay tucked into her side.

Ginny rolled her eyes but kept on persevering, trying to finish the chapter she was reading. She found that even though Harry was now laying quietly, his breathing was moving her hair enough to tickle her neck.

Finally giving up she turned to him and playfully swatted his arm. "You're a prat, Harry Potter,"she said, though she couldn't hide the laughter in her voice.

Harry just hugged her closer and lost himself in Ginny's wonderful aroma. He knew he'd never tire of it and he found it both exhilarating and calming. To him, nothing would ever smell better than his Ginny.

Ginny glanced at the clock, and after giving Harry a hug, she rose from his bed. "_Remember, wait till it's quiet before you come over,"_ she sent with a smile.

"_I'll remember," _Harry replied, returning her smile in anticipation of sleeping in Ginny's arms again.

Ginny left and Harry changed. He lay down and turned out the light, listening to the sounds of the house. Slowly one by one he heard the people stop moving until the only sounds were the quiet creaks and moans of the house as it cooled from the hot sun.

Harry was just about to rise when he heard someone stealthily on the stairs. They came up to his and Ginny's landing. Feigning sleep, Harry lay very still and he heard his door creak open a little. Staying perfectly still, he heard the door close after a few seconds. He then heard Ginny's door open too.

Harry was sure it was Molly checking up on them, "_Ginny, I think your Mum is checking on us," _he sent softly.

"_I know, I can hear her too,"_ Ginny sent back.

In the stillness of the night, Harry heard the footsteps recede down the stairs and a door softly shut. He waited fifteen minutes before carefully rising and made his way quietly over to Ginny's room.

"_I'm coming Ginny,"_ he sent just as he was opening his door.

"_I'm waiting,"_ Ginny replied.

Softly and slowly Harry made his way to Ginny's door, since someone had checked, Ginny's door was closed all the way, so Harry had to take his time and carefully turn the nob before he could open the door.

He had just cracked the door open, when he heard a noise below him. He froze where he was and listened carefully. When he heard nothing else he opened the door just enough to allow him to slip inside. He then just as carefully shut the door, making sure that it was tightly closed.

Breathing a sigh of relief he made his way silently to Ginny's bed. In the dim moonlight he could see Ginny smiling at him as she held up the covers so he could slip into bed with her.

As soon as they touched it was as if they had gone to heaven. They both felt peaceful. calm and contented. Harry wrapped his arm around Ginny as she snuggled into his side, both feeling that they were where they were supposed to be and where they needed to be. It seemed like a matter of moments and they both drifted off to sleep, neither one being disturbed by bad dreams.

**XX HP + GW XX**

**A/N: Surprise, surprise oh faithful readers, a double posting day! Molly can't seem to make up her mind, and it is causing havoc in the Weasley house-hold. Hopefully things will be straightened out before blood is shed. (Only Kidding) I'm fairly certain that it would never come to bloodshed. **

**To all you readers who are also reading Ties that Bind, I want to inform you that the last chapter of that story is going to under go a massive rewrite. I inadvertently married part of a chapter for this story in that chapter, making for a major plot line discrepancy and royally just mucking things up.**

**I beg you forgiveness, I am under a lot of strain due to personal problems and it is making it very hard to concentrate and keep things coherent. I beg your forgiveness and will try not to let it happen again, but I make no promises.**

**As always please review. **


	16. Second Battle of the Chamber

**Harry and Ginny: A Love Story**

**Chapter 16: Second Battle of the Chamber**

Harry awoke to the soft click of the door to Ginny's room opening. Cracking his eyes open, he saw it was Mr. Weasley. He came over to the bed, slowly and quietly.

Seeing Harry was awake, he smiled at him, "Time to go back to your own room Harry. Molly will be coming up to wake you for breakfast soon and I'd rather not have a major confrontation this morning."

Harry considered his words carefully and then nodded his head in acknowledgement. He watched him turn and leave as quietly as he had come in. He gently shook Ginny's shoulder and was gratified to see her eyes flutter open.

"What's up?" she asked, sleepily.

"Your Dad was just here to warn me that your Mum was going to be up here soon to wake us for breakfast," Harry replied softly. "I know you want to emphasize that we are sleeping together but Dad asked that we not have a major confrontation this morning."

Ginny sighed, while she did want to make it known that she and Harry were going to be together, no matter what, but she also knew that her Dad was backing them, even if it was in the background for the time being.

"OK, Harry," she answered, "but this doesn't end it. I'm not going to sneak around forever. It's to important to us."

Harry gave her a hug, "I know, Ginny, but for right now let's let Dad have a break and maybe he can help wear your Mum down."

Ginny returned his hug, breathing deeply to calm herself. As much as she wanted to prove her point, she respected her father for his acceptance of her and Harry sleeping together.

Ginny gave Harry a little push, "If you're going, go or I'll regret not keeping you here for Mum to find, you're very warm and snuggley to sleep with and that's hard to give up."

Harry grinned as he got out of bed, "You're pretty warm and snuggley to sleep with too."

With one last loving look, Harry turned and left Ginny's room and though she was a bit upset that they were sneaking around, Ginny knew that it might just help her father in getting things settled where her mother would accept her and Harry sleeping together.

Harry had only been in his room for a couple of minutes when there was a knock on the door, "Come in," he said as he continued to gather his clothes to get changed.

Molly opened the door just far enough to stick her head in, "Breakfast in five minutes," she said with a small smile.

After she left, closing the door behind her, Harry glanced at his bed and saw that it was obvious that no one had slept in it that night. He prayed that Molly hadn't noticed, or if she did, she wouldn't cause another scene in the kitchen.

Across the hall, the scene was repeated, Molly knocking softly and informing Ginny that breakfast was ready. She then descended the stairs to the kitchen.

"_Ginny, your Mum was just here," _he sent.

"_Yeah, she was just here too,"_ Ginny replied.

"_The thing is she headed down stairs, do you think she went and woke your brothers?"_

Ginny was silent for a moment, but then they heard the Twins coming down the stairs. "_I think she did."_

Harry sighed in relief, "_What if she had stopped in to wake us first?"_

Ginny giggled, _"Then she would have found us together, silly," _she sent, her mind full of her mirth.

Harry couldn't help but chuckle too. Ginny's indomitable spirit filling him with wonder and pride. Harry knew in his heart that she would face off a rampaging Dragon if she thought it was necessary.

Soon they were both dressed and they met in the hall so that they could go down to breakfast together. Smiling at one another, they joined hands and descended the stairs to the kitchen, ready to face the day and whatever it might bring.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Arthur sat and watched Molly as she prepared breakfast. It had been a very strained night with Molly turning her back to him and laying facing away. It was only the third time in their marriage that they had slept in such a manner, and he shuddered to think about the first two.

He looked around when the Twins came stumbling down into the kitchen, looking quite dishevelled, their hair a mess and their faces still puffy and creased from sleeping.

George yawned mightily as he poured some juice, while Fred just laid his head on the table, trying to get a couple extra minutes of sleep. They had been up late into the night plotting and planning on what to do to help cheer up Ginny and Harry.

It was just a couple of minutes later that Harry and Ginny joined them in the kitchen, and though they were cordial with everyone else, they were still quite cold towards Molly, only speaking when spoken to or when it was necessary.

It pained Arthur's heart to see them so estranged from Molly but he himself had been seriously disappointed in her and the way she handled the situation. He loved Molly with all his heart, but sometimes she did things that he found incomprehensible.

Molly tried to act normally but the icy treatment she was receiving from Ginny and Harry really hurt, and though she knew why they were acting like they were she had just hoped that they would accept her take on things and everything would be just fine.

Though that was her wish, deep inside she knew that her intractable stance was causing a lot of friction in the house. She had even detected a slight disappointment from the Twins, and that hurt her too.

As the morning progressed, she became aware that the house seemed to be divided in two camps, the pro Ginny and Harry camp and her and Percy. Though Arthur was trying to remain neutral, she knew where his heart lay, that and Ron seemed totally clueless that anything was going on. She was glad that Arthur had gone to work, so she didn't have to see his disappointment in her whenever she looked at him.

Percy was all excited because he was sure that today was the day he would be given the Ministry internship that he so desperately wanted. He had left shortly after breakfast in his best robes to go to the Ministry and find out.

Molly sighed and went into the parlour, she sat in her rocking chair and stared into the fireplace, thinking about how things were turning out. The fireplace was as cold and dark as she felt, but she still couldn't force herself to change her position.

It was much later that Ron came into the parlour, "Hey, Mum. Aren't you going to make lunch?" he asked with a frown.

Molly looked up in surprise, she hadn't realized that so much time had past. To her it seemed like it was only a few minutes ago that she had come in to sit down. With a sad smile she rose and headed for the kitchen.

Ron watched her and was bewildered, he couldn't ever remember seeing his mother so sad. As she came up to him in the doorway he said lowly, "Mum, is everything OK?"

Molly smiled wanly at him, and with a sigh she said "Everything is fine Ron."

Ron looked more confused than ever, even he could see that something was wrong. He knew he wasn't always the quickest to pick up on things but if someone is hitting you over the head with a Beaters bat, you had to take notice eventually.

Molly didn't feel like cooking so she made sandwiches instead. That along with crisps and juice would suffice for lunch. It was after she had put everything on the table and the boys were sitting down when she noticed Ginny and Harry weren't present.

She looked around, a worried look on her face, "Where are Ginny and Harry?" she asked, trying to remain calm.

Fred and George exchanged looks, then Fred said to his Mum, "I'm pretty sure they're up in Ginny's room."

"Yeah, Mum," added George, "They have been up there ever since breakfast."

"Would one of you please go up and tell them lunch is ready?" she said, her voice tinged with the melancholy that seemed to be descending on her.

Fred and George exchanged worried looks again before Fred got up and went up stairs. He was back in a mater of moments, alone.

"Mum," he said softly, "Ginny said that they weren't hungry right now and if they needed anything later they would come down and get it themselves."

Molly got a pained expression on her face as she nodded slowly. She got up and without a word, she went up to her room, closing the door after herself, leaving the stunned boys at the table looking quite worried.

"What's going on?" Ron demanded.

Fred and George exchanged knowing looks and with a slight nod, Fred said, "Why Ron, whatever makes you think anything is wrong?"

"Yeah, Ron," added George, smiling too. "Everything seems to be normal as far as we can see."

Ron looked from one to the other, "You're telling me that you don't see anything out of the ordinary happening?" he asked totally bewildered.

"Nope," said George.

"Not a thing," added Fred.

Ron was really bewildered now. The Twins were always up on everything that was

going on. They were like news central, if you needed to know what was happening with anyone in the house, they were the ones to go to.

The Twins went back to eating their breakfasts, acting like nothing was out of the ordinary. Ron just kept looking from one to the other, not knowing what to do.

Once they were done, Fred and George looked at a completely bewildered and confused Ron, who was so upset he hadn't even finished his first sandwich.

Fred and George looked at him and figured that they strung Ron along enough.

"Ron," George said with a grin.

"What George?" Ron asked.

"We want you to know that you're right, there is something going on," said Fred.

Ron breathed a sigh of relief, "So are you going to tell me?" he asked.

Glancing at one another the Twins shrugged their shoulders, "It's like this Ron," Fred said. "Ginny and Harry are having some kind of disagreement with Mum."

"Yeah, and it's something really major," George said lowly. "They're really at loggerheads."

"The thing is I don't think Dad is completely on Mum's side and, well you know what that means," said Fred, putting his arm around Ron's shoulders.

"No, what does it mean?" Ron asked, still confused.

The Twins gave him condescending looks.

"Look Ron, it's like Quidditch," said George.

"Yeah," Fred continued with a smile. "Their like a team, raising us kids, see?"

When Ron still looked confused, George shook his head and said, "Think about it Ron, If all the players on the same Quidditch team didn't work together, what would happen?"

Ron's eyes lit up with understanding, "They'd lose. Without teamwork there'd be chaos."

"Right, little bro," Fred said in satisfaction.

"Mum and Dad, aren't working together dealing with Ginny and Harry," George said lowly, like it was a secret.

"And if they're not working together, it means trouble for the rest of us, plus Mum is unhappy and I'm sure Dad isn't happy either," Fred said.

"So our advice little bro is keep a low profile for a while," George advised.

"It wouldn't be a good idea to do anything that might trigger a blow up, Mum especially," Fred said sagely.

"Wow!" Ron said, in breathless wonder. "Thanks for the warning."

"Don't mention it," Fred said as he got up.

"Yeah, and if you must, leave our names out of it," George said, as he joined Fred.

Ron watched them head up the stairs, thinking hard about all he had just heard. What could be so bad that Mum was that upset with Ginny and Harry. He sat thinking for several moments but couldn't come up with anything, so with a shrug of his shoulders he went back to eating his sandwich.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Arthur sat in his office but he couldn't get any work done. His mind was elsewhere, back in the Burrow where things seemed to be falling totally apart. He was really confused by Molly's actions.

He really couldn't understand her this time, yes the were all concerned about Ginny and Harry sleeping together but more seemed to be involved than was on the surface.

He was contemplating what to do when he was interrupted by Kingsley Shacklebolt coming into his office.

"Hey Arthur, just wanted to stop by and congratulate you on your son getting that summer internship in the Minister's office. Quite a feather in his cap if he wants to work here after graduating," the large Auror said, his deep baritone making the office ring with his melodic voice.

He noticed Arthur's frown, "What's up Arthur? I thought you'd be proud of Percy."

Arthur looked at his friend, "The problem is King, that he wants that job more than anything, even his family."

"I'm sorry to hear that Arthur, I know what that's like. My uncle was the same way and it about destroyed the family. He never did come to his senses and died without ever reconciling with any of us, a real shame," Kingsley said.

"I just feel so helpless, I mean I know there's nothing I can do to change his mind, but I wish things could be different," Arthur replied gloomily. "I just wish that was my only problem," he added softly, more to himself.

"Why, what else is going on?" Kingsley asked, concerned for his friend.

Arthur realized he had to answer carefully, now that he had broached the subject he knew he couldn't just brush it off or Kingsley might get suspicious. With a sigh he said, "Molly and I are having a disagreement on how to handle a situation with some of the children. The thing was I thought we had come to an agreement the other night but when I got home yesterday I found she had done just the opposite."

Kingsley looked at his friend sympathetically, "Man that's a rough spot to be in. Do the kids involved know what has happened?"

Arthur nodded ruefully, "Yeah, and that doesn't make it any easier. I mean how can I support Molly in something I don't believe in and that we had an agreement on. We've always tried to present a united front to the children, that way they can't try to play one of us off on the other."

Kingsley chuckled, "Yeah, I remember trying that once on my parents, it's still painful to remember."

Arthur chuckled along with his friend, "Yeah, I think all of us had to learn that lesson somewhere along the line."

"Don't I know it," Kingsley said in agreement.

"I just hope Percy doesn't have to suffer too much and that he learns his lesson before it's too late.

Kingsley nodded in commiseration with Arthur, "That's all any parent can wish for. Well I wish you and Molly luck in solving your problems and I hope Percy comes to understand that family is more important than just about anything else."

Kingsley got up to leave and then stopped at the door, looking thoughtful. "Arthur, aren't your kids friends of Harry Potter's?"

Arthur almost choked, "Yeah, why?" he asked as casually as he could.

"Nothing really, just some rumours floating around. If they're right he's gone missing. There isn't anything official and knowing Albus, I doubt there will be. I just thought if your kids are in contact with him over the summer, tell him to be careful."

Arthur eyed Kingsley suspiciously, "Why's that King?"

"A few other rumours are around too, about how he was being mistreated at his relatives," Kingsley said lowly. "That's not official either."

Arthur nodded, "Thanks King, I'll be sure to tell the kids if they hear from him what you said.

Kingsley smiled at him and with a wave, he left Arthur alone again, contemplating what he had just heard, that plus what was he going to do about Molly and the kids.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Harry and Ginny lay on her bed, Ginny was tucked up against his side and they were just content to be together after being separated all day yesterday. Sure they had slept together last night but it wasn't the same as being together during the day.

"_Harry?" _Ginny asked.

"_What Ginny?" _Harry sent back.

"_I'm glad that you support me in the disagreement with Mum."_

"_How could I not? You're my Bond-mate, my other half. Without you I feel incomplete and empty inside," _Harry replied.

Harry felt Ginny's smile, more than saw it. "_Yeah, I feel the same, but it's hard sometimes, you know."_

"_Yeah, I know Ginny. Everything is so new and we don't have any idea what to expect, I'm surprised that it hasn't been harder than it has been," _Harry said, softly stroking Ginny's hair.

Ginny sighed deeply, all while growing up she had hated anyone touching or messing with her hair, but with Harry it was totally different. When he had his hands in her hair and was stroking it like he was at the moment, she felt the love pouring into her from his touch.

She supposed it was that when she was younger, the only time anyone would touch her hair, it was one of her brothers, either pulling it, putting something into or just to annoy the hell out of her.

With Harry, it was close to a religious experience, his touch was soft and gentle, he didn't pull or cause any pain, quite the contrary, it felt so bloody good, that she would have loved for him to do it for hours.

She tensed a little when she heard her mothers footsteps on the stairs, but she relaxed when she heard her go into her parents bedroom.

"_How long do you think we'll have to sneak around," _Harry asked.

"_I'm not sure, but I hope it isn't too long. We belong together and more importantly we need to be together too. Why can't Mum see that?" _Ginny complained.

"_I don't know Ginny. I've never known what it's like to have loving parents. I grew up in a house where people hated me. They wanted me gone as long as I can remember," _Harry said sadly. "_I know your Mum loves us, but she is blinded by the idea that we are just children. I wish it were true," he continued._

"_I know, Harry. She doesn't understand the changes that happen when you are touched by an evil as deep and strong as Tom. She can't even guess at it. I'm so glad the sleeping with you stops the nightmares, it's horrible seeing what he did to so many people, especially the young girls," _Ginny sent, tears forming in her eyes as she started to cry at the memories she was recalling.

Harry hugged her tighter to him, "_Shh, shh, Ginny. I'm here and Tom isn't."_

"_I know Harry, but I can see the images of the vile despicable things he did to those girls, both muggle and magical. I see as he rips their clothes off and preformed acts so horrible I don't think I'll ever get them out of my mind," _Ginny sobbed into Harry's chest.

Harry felt his heart breaking for his Bond-mate, he wished fervently that somehow he could help her, ease her burden, heal her soul. All he could do right at the moment was hold her and tell her how much she meant to him, how much he loved her.

Ginny had finally cried herself out, and just lay with her head on Harry's chest, her eyes open but unseeing, she was lost in her memories and Harry despaired at how lost and hurt she felt. Her emotions were pouring off her in a torrent and Harry concentrated on trying to pull all the blackness out of her that he could.

As he did, he felt something stir in him, something that he didn't like and something he hoped would never break free. He felt an evil as deep and black as Tom had the times he had confronted him.

Ginny stirred a little, feeling what Harry was doing and though she wished she could stop him, she was happy that the evil was being removed from her. She just hoped that it wouldn't hurt Harry.

Ginny felt cleaner than she had since being in the Chamber, she knew Harry hadn't removed every bit of the evil, but now it was tolerable and she didn't feel dirty and unworthy anymore.

She felt Harry breathing hard under her, like he had been running as hard as he could for as long as he could.

"_Harry!" _she cried out. "_Are you OK? Speak to me!"_

Harry felt he was deep in a morass, around him swarmed images or the most vile sort and he realized it was Ginny's fears and nightmares. Not only was she reliving what Tom had done, she envisioned herself undergoing the same horrible treatment.

He felt a terror and a rage building inside, terror for what was happening to Ginny, even if it was only in her mind and a rage too, against the one who was responsible.

Harry felt the magic within him building as his rage intensified, it was a swirling mass of white against the blackness that he was pulling out of Ginny. He felt he was in a huge battle as the blackness morphed into a giant snake, so similar to the Basilisk that he had fought to free Ginny.

Ginny didn't know what was happening, Harry was struggling beneath her. His breath coming in such short rasping gasps she worried that he would pass out.

Ginny tried her hardest to keep Harry from thrashing about on the bed but she found the harder she tried, the worse Harry became. From their connection all she got was the most chaotic maelstrom of images and thoughts that she couldn't understand any of it.

She could feel Harry's heart beating wildly against his chest as she laid on him. Ginny was getting very scared. Harry wasn't responding to her and he seemed to be in a struggle for his life. Making a quick decision she sprang up and ran down the flight of stairs to her parents room, where she began to pound frantically on the door.

"MUM! MUM! Come quick!" she screamed.

Molly opened the door in a panic, Ginny was near hysterical.

"You need to come quick Mum, something is happening to Harry!"

Molly wasted no time and sprinted up the stairs to Ginny's room. Before her she saw Harry thrashing about wildly, eyes tightly shut, and she could feel the magic pouring off him so strong, she feared for the safety of everyone in the Burrow.

In the chaos, the Twins and Ron appeared, wondering what the problem was and shocked to see the state Ginny was in.

Molly quickly assessed the situation, "George, Fred, take care of Ginny, get out of the Burrow, as far as you can!" she said firmly.

Ginny fought frantically to get back to Harry but the Twins over powered her and carried her down the stairs, Ron right behind them.

Molly quickly went over to Harry's side and pulled her wand, she knew she didn't have much time, but she wasn't going to abandon Harry when he needed her the most.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Harry was locked in a titanic struggle with the beast that had formed out of the blackness he had pulled from Ginny. It seemed ten time as large and ten times as strong as the Basilisk in the Chamber.

Though he was fighting as hard as he could, Harry knew there was no Fawkes to save him. He fought with all his might but he knew that without some sort of weapon, he'd never be able to beat the monster.

Harry felt the serpents tail swing around, catching him in the midsection, tossing him across the "Room" he fell hard, knowing if he didn't get up he would be lost.

Struggling to his feet, his mind called out in desperation, calling for someone, or something to give him a weapon so he at least had a chance. As the serpent moved in for the kill, the white light that was his and Ginny's combined Love came down like a lightning bolt and solidified in his hand as a huge sword. A sword of Love.

Just as the serpent lunged at him, Harry brought the blade of light in line with the plunging Blackness. Just as in the Chamber it pierced through the head of the monster causing it to burst apart, into a million little fragments that slowly evaporated away.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Molly began to cast protective spells around Harry, hoping against hope that they'd be able to contain the magic that was threatening to explode off Harry.

Harry's struggle was getting wilder and wilder, and she feared he would hurt himself. The only thing she could think to do was petrify him to keep him still. Just as she was gathering her magic and forming the spell in her mind, Harry suddenly stopped struggling.

Molly felt the magic around Harry lessen, but not quit completely. Cautiously she approached Harry's side and she bent over him, trying to determine his state.

She began to cast the few diagnostic spells she knew in an attempt to find out his condition, hoping that he wasn't hurt to badly or worse, dead.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Ginny was frantic, still struggling to break free of the Twins, tears were running down her face and she kept shouting Harry's name. She then turned to the Twins and pleaded with them to let her go, Harry needed her.

As much as the Twins wanted to, they knew they couldn't let Ginny loose. From the safety of the small knoll away from the Burrow, they could see the building starting to shake.

Ron was pale as a sheet and looked at Ginny incomprehensibly, she was like a wild beast struggling to get free. He looked beseechingly at the Twins who looked almost as worried as he was. Just when it seemed Ginny might break free, she dropped to her knees, sobbing.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Harry stood in the Chamber, it was very similar to the Chamber of Secrets but with subtle differences. For one thing there was no huge head of Salazar Slytherin dominating the place. In the spot where it had stood in Hogwarts was a wooden door.

Though quite massive it was dwarfed but the space it was in. Harry could hear something behind the door and he could feel it's evilness. He found this curious as he knew that whatever was back there it hadn't come in with the things from Ginny.

Steeling himself once more, he slowly approached the door, sword at the ready. As he neared, the door rattled ominously, as if something was trying to get out. Harry took several deep breaths and then grabbed the huge handle to open the door.

He reached out though the Bond and he felt Ginny's reassuring presence, though he could tell she had been frantic before, he could feel her calmness and love now.

Soaking in her love, he pushed down on the lever that would open the door. As soon as it clicked, it began to swing inward. Harry grabbed the sword with two hands, preparing to face whatever was inside.

There was a short hallway that led into a small chamber. Inside he could feel the evil thing that resided there. Harry looked in shock as the vestige of a man turned and looked at him with pure hate in it's glowing eyes.

As it moved it was like a puff of smoke, un-forming the man as it moved only to reform where it stopped. It moved closer to Harry, and he felt the malevolence it held for him. Wasting no time, Harry swung the Sword formed out of his and Ginny's love, as hard as he could.

It ripped into the smoke-like creature which screamed as it dissolved into nothingness, the echo of it's scream dying away.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Fred and George were near panic as Ginny slumped in their grasp, her sobbing subsiding, though she continued to breath raggedly.

All three brothers looked at the house a short distance away, wondering what was happening and concerned that Ginny needed Molly's attention.

Then Ginny smiled and breathed easier. "Harry" she whispered, a smile forming on her face. She looked up at the Twins, "It's OK now, we can go back in," she said serenely.

Fred and George glanced at the Burrow and everything looked normal, the house had stopped shaking and looked just the same as always.

They hesitated, knowing if things weren't OK, their Mum would have their hides for letting Ginny back in the house.

"Please," she said softly. "Harry needs me now."

She said it with such sincerity and emotion that the Twins found it impossible to refuse her. They helped her to her feet and let go of her hands.

Ginny smiled at them, "Thank you," she said politely.

The Twins just nodded and followed behind as Ginny walked quickly, but not frantically back towards the Burrow. As they entered the house, they saw the kitchen was in shambles, dishes had fallen out of the cupboards and smashed on the floor.

Ginny carefully picked her way over to the stairs and disappeared from sight.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Molly relaxed when she saw Harry quit struggling, and after a few moments she felt the rest of the excess magic stop radiating off Harry. Whatever had happened, it seemed to have ended. The only thing that concerned her now was that Harry hadn't awoken.

She went over and shifted him so she could sit down with his head in her lap. She gently ran her hand through his hair as she stared at his face. He looked calm and peaceful as he lay there.

Molly felt tears coming to her eyes, "Why," she asked herself, "Why do things keep happening to this poor sweet boy."

She just held him like she would have with any of her other children, trying to comfort the unconscious boy in her lap.

That was how Ginny found them when she entered the room, tears silently running down Molly's face as she held Harry.

Ginny made her way over to them, "Mum, thank you for taking care of Harry," she said softly.

"I didn't do that much, really," she said with a sob.

"But you did enough," Ginny replied.

Molly saw the love on Ginny's face as she stared at Harry who was still motionless in her lap. Something changed in her heart at that moment, she knew it was futile to try and keep them apart, something about them just shouted that they needed to be together.

Gently Molly lifted Harry's head and moved out from underneath him, as she gently laid him back down, she motioned for Ginny to join him on the bed.

When Ginny laid down and took Harry into her arms, a slight smile formed on Harry's face.

"Take care of him, Ginny. I'm going to go see if I can't get a Medi-witch or Wizard to come and check him over," Molly said with a small smile.

Ginny just nodded and hugged Harry tighter to her, softly caressing his cheek and hair, trying to make him a comfortable as possible. Whispering his name both mentally and physically, telling him how much she loved him and for him to come back to her.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Harry stood in the Chamber, he felt at peace and whatever that thing had been, it was now gone and he felt good about it.

He closed his eyes and heard Ginny calling to him, keeping his eyes closed he drifted towards were Ginny was, letting her love be his guide, taking him back to where he belonged.

Slowly he became aware of being held and he could smell Ginny's sweet fragrance. "_Hummm, I like this,"_ he said.

"_Harry, while I'm glad you did what you did by taking some of the worst of the evil away, if you ever do anything like that again, I think I'll hex you into oblivion,"_ she sent, though he could feel her love and warmth for him.

"_The thing is Ginny, I didn't try to do anything really, it seemed to just happen and then it awoke something inside of me, that I think was a piece of Riddle, just like what was in the diary."_

Ginny shudder at the mention of the diary, though for some reason it didn't seem to have the same power over her it once had. Maybe, just maybe, whatever Harry had participated in had done something to help heal that in her as well.

Harry shifted and Ginny moulded herself to him spoon fashion, she could sense how tired he was.

"_Sleep Harry, I'm right here and I'll take care you you."_

"_Thanks Ginny, I know you're there and you'll take care of me, just like I'll take care of you if you need it."_

Ginny gently hugged Harry to her and kissed the back of his head. She felt him drifting off to sleep and she felt in her heart that things were going to get better, they had to. She wasn't sure how much more the wonderful young boy in her arms could take and she wanted to protect him if she could. He was her Bond-mate and she was his, together she felt they could handle just about anything, she just hoped they didn't have to handle too much, too soon.

**XX HP + GW XX**

**A/N: Well things are happening, it seems that Harry can never catch a break. Just when things seem to be going well, something happens to muck things up.**

**As always, your reviews, thoughts and feedback, greatly appreciated.**


	17. Harry's Favorite MediWitch Saves the Day

**Harry and Ginny: A Love Story**

**Chapter 17: Harry's Favourite Medi-Witch Saves the Day (or Night as the case may be)**

Ron was sitting at the table, trying to make sense out of all that had happened. His Mum had not told him much about what took place. When she came downstairs and took one look at the mess the kitchen was, she sighed, brandished her wand and straightened it up in a matter of moments.

"Mum, will Harry be okay?" he asked softly.

Molly gave him a wan smile and nodded, "I'm pretty sure he'll be just fine, but I think I'll have him checked over just to be sure."

Ron was surprised, he had thought they were to keep Harry's presence a secret. "Mum?" he asked lowly. "Won't that let out the fact that Harry's here?"

Molly sat down at the table, a perplexed look on her face, "I know, but I don't see any way around it. With what Harry went through, I really think he should be checked over and I certainly don't want to have him stressed any further by Apparating him or subjecting him to the Floo.

"Then what are you going to do?" Ron asked.

"I'm working on it Ron, once crisis at a time," she answered, with a wan smile.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Fred and George made their way back up to their room, both were exhausted from struggling to keep Ginny under control.

George kept rolling his shoulder and grimacing, "I can't believe how strong that little spitfire is," he moaned.

"Yeah, I know," replied Fred. " She sure can kick and struggle. I think we would have been better off Stunning her."

"Wish we would have thought of it at the time," George said, with a chuckle.

As they flopped down on their beds, George looked over at Fred, "I guess tonight's not a good night to prank Ginny and Harry."

Fred nodded, "Yeah, I think they've had enough excitement for one day," he agreed.

"Maybe we should do a warm up prank, you know, just to keep our hand in," George said, with a grin.

Fred smiled conspiratorially, "I like the way you think, bro."

"You should," George said, with a laugh. "Since we think alike."

Fred flopped back and stared at the ceiling, "So what do you think about what Mum and they have been fighting about?"

George rolled on his side and looked at his twin, "I don't know. . . .I mean there is something really going on between Ginny and Harry, that much is obvious, but sleeping together? I just don't know."

Fred rolled over to face George, "Yeah. . . .though I don't think it's anything to do with them doing. . . you know what I mean," he said lowly.

"You mean shagging," George said, with a grin. "Yeah, just look at their ages, and they don't act like they're interested in anything like that. I know they want to be together all the time and Mum did talk about a Bond. . . .I'm pretty sure that's the reason, nothing else."

Fred flopped back flat on the bed, "Yeah. . . .for now, but what happens when they get older?"

George laid flat too, "Good question, bro. . . .good question."

**XX HP + GW XX**

Molly sat thinking hard, getting someone who wouldn't talk about Harry's whereabouts was going to be tough. It wasn't so much to keep it a secret any longer from Albus Dumbledore, but just to keep his name out of the papers. That's all they needed was to have a multitude of reporters and people hanging around the property all the time.

Sighing, she could only come up with one name that she was pretty sure that would keep Harry's location a secret, the problem was she didn't know how to go about contacting her, though she knew who might.

Getting up with a look of determination she went to the Floo, taking a pinch of powder she threw it in, getting down and placing her face into the green flames.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Minerva McGonagall was just finishing lunch when one of her house elves came into the room.

"Pardon me, Mistress," she said, quite shyly.

"What is it Binky?" Minerva asked, trying very hard not to laugh. Binky being one of the youngest and newest elves on the staff, had a hard time acting normal around Minerva.

"There be a Mrs, Weazy in the Floo," the elf said shyly.

"Thank you , Binky," Minerva said, smiling at the shy elf.

Minerva rose and went to the study, wondering if anything was the matter. "Well only one way to find out," she said to herself.

"Hello Molly," she said amicably. "What prompted this call?"

"Well, not to worry you or anything, because everything is fine now, but we had a little incident with Harry and some rather impressive uncontrolled magic. He seems fine, if a little tired, but I'd feel much better if he was checked over. I really wouldn't want to call somebody from St. Mungo's, afraid it might leak to the press."

"I can well understand that," Minerva said, "and I suppose you're calling to see if Poppy isn't available, aren't you?"

Molly nodded, "Yes, she's the only one I could think of who would be discreet enough."

"I'll get in touch with her and we'll be there as soon as we can," Minerva replied.

"Oh, there's no reason for you to come, if you don't want to," Molly said, somewhat embarrassed. "I wouldn't want to cause you any trouble or anything."

"No trouble at all," Minerva replied, "Fine guardian I'd be if I didn't take an interest in our ward when something happens."

"Okay, I mean you know you're always welcome here but don't put yourself out," Molly said, offhandedly.

"It's no trouble, Molly. Let me get a hold of Poppy and we should be there soon."

"All right Minerva, see you when you get here," Molly replied.

After the connection was broken, Minerva shook her head, wondering what had happened to Harry that Molly wanted him checked over.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Harry slowly awoke and became aware of being held by Ginny. It was a warm wonderful feeling that filled him with such a feeling of contentment that though every muscle in his body hurt, he didn't mind.

"_Hey Ginny," _Harry sent.

_You're Awake!" _Ginny replied, as she gave him a gentle hug. "_You really had me scared. Please don't __ever __do that again."_

"_I'm sorry I scared you Ginny, but I needed to help get all that vile, evil stuff removed from you. You can't tell me you don't feel better, can you."_

As much as Ginny wanted to deny it, she knew she couldn't. Harry was right, the evil, blackness he had removed had been eating away inside her and she knew it would have consumed her very soul eventually.

"_I know, Harry. It's just you scared me so much. You didn't see yourself, thrashing about on the bed, not responding to me either through the Bond or physically. I just feel that I can't live without you and I thought you were going to die," _Ginny sent sadly, her emotions starting to bubble up along with the tears that were threatening to fall.

Harry spun in Ginny's grasp. _"Hey now, please don't cry," _he sent, concerned for his Bond-mate.

"_I'm sorry," _Ginny said, _"I was just worried, that's all. Why can't you accept that I'll always worry about you."_

Harry felt bad. He knew that because of the way he had been raised by his aunt and uncle, he was use to only relying on himself and he knew it was going to take some time till he was comfortable in allowing others to care for him too.

"_I guess I'll just have to get use to the idea," _he sent tenderly.

Ginny smiled though her tears and gently hugged Harry again. _"You'd better, Buster, or you'll have me to deal with!"_

Harry couldn't help but smile at her, "_Ginny, I know I have nothing to fear from you, really. I know you love me and have my best interest at heart. I promise I'll try to not put you through to much, but if it's one thing I'm finding out, trouble seems to have a way of finding me."_

Ginny giggled at Harry's statement and snuggled close, "_Yeah, well, now trouble has me to deal with too, so it had just better watch out!"_

They were cuddling together for quite some time when there was a soft knocking on the door.

"Come in," Ginny called out.

The door opened and Molly, Minerva and Madam Pomfrey came into the room. Harry took one look at the matron and groaned. "_Oh, Godric!" _Harry moaned. "_Here too?"_

Ginny began to giggle uncontrollably, _"Well, if you wouldn't keep getting hurt."_

Molly came forward, "Harry, we'd like Poppy to take a look at you, if you don't mind."

Harry couldn't help himself, stifling a grin, he said, "What if I do mind?"

Molly's eyes widened in shock, she hadn't even considered that he might say no, but before she or Minerva could say anything, Ginny began to giggle. Swatting Harry on the back of his head, "You are so bad, Harry James Potter."

"OW!" Harry said, rubbing his head where Ginny had struck him. It really wasn't very hard, but it had surprised him.

Molly and Minerva tried to give Harry stern looks, but the corners of their lips kept curling up, more for Ginny's reaction than to Harry's attempt at pulling a prank.

Poppy Pomfrey came forward, and Harry and Ginny were surprised at the way she acted and how she was dressed. Gone was the crisp starched uniform of the school Matron, replace by a much more casual sun dress, with her hair loose and free.

"Hi, Harry," she said genially. "Mind if I check you over?"

Harry and Ginny were shocked, she wasn't acting like the stern Matron that they were use to dealing with at Hogwarts. She was actually, and they couldn't find another word for it, nice.

"Hello, Madam Pomfrey," Harry said, with a questioning look on his face.

She smiled at him, "Since we're not at Hogwarts, we can dispense with all the formal stuff, you can call me Poppy."

Harry's and Ginny's eyes bugged out slightly, the harsh, cold, stern, terrifying Dragon Lady of the Hospital Wing, was actually pleasant and warm to them.

"_Do you think she's really like this?" _Harry asked.

"_I'm not sure, Harry. I guess so, but it's really hard to take," _Ginny sent back.

Poppy laughed at the looks she was getting from Harry and Ginny. "I'm not really a Dragon you know. That's just a rumour I spread at school to keep you kids in line. Please don't spill my secret."

Harry and Ginny slowly nodded their heads, "Okay, Poppy," Harry replied, awestruck.

"Molly tells me you had an episode of unrestrained magic this afternoon, is that right?" she asked softly.

"Yes, Mad... I'm sorry, yes, Poppy" Harry replied, still looking a little unsurely at her.

Poppy gave a low chuckle, "That's all right, Harry. I'm sure it will take some getting use to. Can you tell me what happened?"

Molly interrupted, "He was thrashing. . . ."

Poppy shot a glance at her, that said, "Please don't interrupt."

Minerva caught the glance and smiling said, "Why don't Molly and I wait down stairs?"

Poppy nodded and turned back to Harry. "Harry?"

Harry thought for a moment, "I was cuddled with Ginny, and we were talking about. . . . you know, this past year, and all," he said lowly, a sad look on his face.

Poppy nodded sympathetically, "Yes, and then what happened?"

Harry got a thoughtful look on his face, frowning slightly as he tried to make sense of the jumbled images that came to mind. "Well. . . .it was some rather – bad things, you know?" he said looking up beseechingly into the matron's eyes. "And I thought if there was some way to help my Bond-mate, I'd do just about anything to take that pain away from her," Harry said, his face contorted slightly, showing just how much it had hurt him too.

Poppy nodded, filing away the "Bond-mate" for the moment, she knew she would need to get back to that later. "Then what?" she prompted.

Harry felt Ginny's hand come up and begin to rub the back of his neck. It made him relax and made it easier to keep talking. "The next thing I knew, all this blackness. . . this evil, vile stuff that had been inside of Ginny came pouring out. . . .but it was like I had to pull it somehow," he said, his brow furrowed with his concentrating to remember clearly.

Poppy saw his face change, she could see him remembering something and from the look on his face, it was something major.

"The blackness formed itself into a huge black snake, and I found myself fighting it."

Poppy saw Harry's eyes slide out of focus, seeing something that was only in his mind, his voice dropping as he continued the story.

"I was so afraid because I had nothing to fight the snake with and unlike when I rescued Ginny, there was no Fawkes to bring me a sword."

Poppy saw Harry begin to breath hard, his voice trembling a little as he kept telling the story.

"The snake struck me with it's tail and flung me across the room. I, I cried out, for something, anything to fight with," he said, his head dropping with his chin on his chest, eyes closed, breathing raggedly.

Poppy chanced a glance at Ginny and she saw tears flowing down her face as she listened to Harry tell his story. She was getting worried about Harry's reaction, reliving what he had gone through.

Harry's head slowly came up, a smile spreading across his face, "Then the most amazing thing happened," he said, his face filling with exhilaration, "Our love formed into a sword and I killed the black beast with the pure while sword of our love."

Harry's face was radiating his love for Ginny and he slowly turned to her, both their eyes were glistening and they took each other into a tight embrace.

"That's an amazing story, Harry," Poppy said softly.

"_Harry, what about the other part you told me about?"_

"_I'd rather not talk about that right now, Ginny," _he sent back, "_For right now I want that to be our secret."_

"_All right, Harry. For now that's okay."_

Poppy sat and looked at Harry critically. Though his experience had been confined to the realm of the mind, it also had effects in the physical world as well.

"Harry, I'm going to cast a couple of diagnostic spells on you, okay?" Poppy asked,

Harry just nodded, to tired for the moment to speak, his eyes, returning to Ginny's and he smiled wanly at her, trying to draw strength from her through their Bond.

Ginny gently rested her head on Harry's shoulder, feeling just as drained as Harry seemed, her emotions reflecting what she was feeling through the Bond.

Poppy was relieved when all she could detect was quite a few strained muscles. It seemed he wasn't suffering from any long term effects from his battle with evil. Not many could have done so and remained unscathed. But then again, she reminded herself, he had just recently fought a very real Basilisk and a shade of evil of the most base sort and survived. Maybe not totally unscathed and he had only survived because of the timely intervention of Dumbledore's Phoenix, Fawkes, but survived he did just the same.

Poppy smiled softly at Harry, "Well, Harry, you seem to have once again managed to dodge another spell, so to speak." She took several vials of potion out of her bag. "Here, take one now and then one tomorrow morning and then tomorrow night right before bed. Got that?" she asked with a grin.

Harry made a face and rolled his eyes, Ginny laughed and reached out with her hand, "Give them to me, I'll make sure he takes them," she said, sharing a laugh with the matron.

Poppy chuckled, she had no doubt that Ginny would have Harry take them correctly.

Harry uncorked the one handed to him, and after taking a deep breath to prepare himself, he quickly downed the potion, shuddering and shaking at the bitter taste. Licking his tongue in disgust, "Can't they make them taste good?" he asked.

Poppy smiled and patted him on his knee, "I'm sure they could, but then you'd probably go out and get hurt all the time just to have some," she said good-humouredly.

Ginny broke out in a fit of giggles while Harry just rolled his eyes, "I don't think so, Poppy," he said, sarcastically, "The way things go, I'd probably get my fill of them even if they tasted good."

Both Ginny and Poppy laughed harder at Harry and he found himself chuckling along with them.

"All right," Poppy said, "Now there's one more thing I'd like to talk to you about."

Ginny sighed, "Did Mum ask you to talk to us about sleeping together?" she said exasperatedly.

Poppy was a little surprised but not unduly so, "No she didn't, though now that you brought it up, we'll talk about that too, but first I want to ask you about the Bond you mentioned."

"You mean, Mum and Aunt Minerva didn't mention that?" Ginny asked, aghast, eyes popping out.

Poppy couldn't help but chuckle, "No they didn't," she replied with a smile. "Could you tell me a little about you Bond? I've read some about them when I trained as a Medi-witch."

"You know about Bonds?" Ginny said in disbelief.

"A little Ginny, but I am nowhere near an expert on them. They are a very rare thing, so not much is taught on them unless someone goes into certain specialities" Poppy explained.

Ginny moved up and sat on the edge of the bed next to Harry, very interested now. "No one has been able to tell us hardly anything," she said, her voice loaded with anticipation. "What do you know, and can tell us?" she said breathlessly.

"Slow down, Ginny" Poppy said with a small laugh, "I'll tell you what I can and maybe I'll be able to find out some more."

Ginny and Harry were all smiles now, looking intently at the matron.

"So what can you tell me about your Bond?" Poppy repeated.

"What do you want to know?" Ginny asked.

"Well, when did it start?" Poppy asked.

"It started the morning after Harry rescued me," Ginny said, softly.

Harry screw up his face, "Well, maybe. That was when the big things started but even the night before, I kind of felt that Ginny needed me, and I, ah well. . . .kind of snuck into the Hospital Wing and stayed with Ginny all night, so she could sleep," Harry said hesitantly.

Poppy couldn't help but smile, "Well Harry, don't you think you spend enough time there as it is, that you need to come and spend more time there with Ginny?" she teased.

Harry blushed, "Yeah, well. . . ."

"_Harry! She's teasing you," _Ginny laughed.

Poppy noticed the way Harry and Ginny were interacting, "I take it you two are experiencing the mind link," she said with a smile.

"Yes," Ginny said excitedly.

"And you can clearly feel the emotional state of one another?"

Ginny and Harry nodded enthusiastically.

"Umm, I see. And I suppose you are also feeling a compelling desire to be together all the time?" she asked with a knowing grin.

Ginny's eyes widened with her delight, "Yes," she answered breathlessly.

"Can we expect to have any other things happen?" Harry asked.

Poppy smiled, "Well from what I have read, as you get older, your magical abilities will increase because of being tied together by the Bond. If the records are correct, you'll eventually be able to call your Bond-mate to you, no matter the distance between you."

Harry and Ginny exchanged wide-eyed smiles.

"There is also one more major thing that will in all likely-hood take place," Poppy said with a smirk.

"What's that?" Ginny asked, expectantly.

"I'll keep that one to myself for now." When Ginny frowned, she laughed, "Don't worry Ginny, it's nothing major I assure you and it won't affect you in any negative way. In fact you'll probably be relieved when you find out and I'm sure your parents will be too. Let's just say that sleeping together shouldn't be a concern."

Poppy stood up, "How are you feeling, Harry?" she asked, compassionately.

"Much better, the potion really helped with my aches and pains," he replied with a grin.

"Good, just remember to take the other two when you're supposed to," she said, gently hitting the end of his nose with her finger, as she smiled at him.

Ginny couldn't help but giggle, this friendly, caring, fun loving, warm, nice Poppy was totally opposite from the stern Madam Pomfrey she was at Hogwarts.

Harry was looking into her eyes and he felt her love and compassion. Smiling, Harry stood and hugged Poppy tightly, "Thank you," he whispered, emotionally.

Poppy returned his hug, "You're welcome," she said softly.

Harry slowly disengaged himself from Poppy, and looking up into her eyes he said lowly, "Goodbye, Aunt Poppy."

Poppy's eyebrow shot up into her hairline but she was smiling widely. "I'll see you later, Harry." Looking up at Ginny, "Goodbye, Ginny. I'll see you later too." She gave Harry a little push towards the bed, "You should get some rest now. The more you rest, the faster you'll recover."

Ginny rolled back on the bed, making room for Harry to lay down again. Poppy watched as he laid back down and into the loving embrace of his Bond-mate. Smiling, she left the room, heading down to talk to Molly and Minerva, she had some information that she was sure was going to relieve a lot of their concerns.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Ron was sitting at the table when Molly and Minerva came downstairs. He still found it strange that Professor McGonagall was visiting the Burrow on a fairly consistent basis.

He had grabbed a drink and was waiting to see if the Twins would be coming back down so he could see if they wanted to practice Quidditch. He knew that they didn't have enough for two on two, sure that Harry wouldn't be available to play. Maybe they'd help him practice his keeping skills.

He watched his Mum and the Professor go into the Parlour and they began to talk lowly. He was pretty sure that they weren't really discussing anything that important, because even though he couldn't hear what they were saying, he heard them laughing lowly now and then.

He was just finishing his drink when an Owl came flying through the open window. He was surprised to see it come directly over to him. As he took the attached letter off, he noticed the leg band that identified it as one of the official post owls.

He gave the owl a drink of water, but it refused any food, it seemed to be in a hurry to leave so he thanked it for the letter and watched it fly off.

He was fairly certain who the letter was from because the only other person who had ever written now lived here at the Burrow. His first thought was to look at the letter later but then as he thought about it, he realized that maybe Hermione could spend time with Ginny, freeing up Harry so they could spend time together.

Ron ripped the envelope open and as he skimmed the letter, a smile came across his face. Hermione was bored and wanted to visit, "Perfect," he thought to himself. Hermione could come and visit, capturing Ginny's attention and then he would be free to have plenty of time with Harry.

Rising quickly, he went to the doorway to the Parlour, "Mum?," he asked softly. "Hermione is wondering if she can come for a visit."

Molly thought about it for a moment, and came to the conclusion that maybe having a friend visiting would be good for Ron, giving him someone to occupy his time so he didn't brood on Harry so much. "That will be nice, Ron. Write her back and let her know that she can come whenever she wants to," Molly replied, smiling at her youngest son.

Ron ran all the up to his room to find some parchment, ink bottle and his quill. He dashed off a quick reply and went down stairs looking for Errol. He didn't have the nerve to ask Harry to borrow Hedwig.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Poppy Pomfrey joined Molly and Minerva in the Parlour. "Harry's fine, just a little sore from muscle strain, he must have been really thrashing about to cause as much damage as he did. Though minor, there was quite a bit of it so I've given him some potions, or I should say that I gave them to Ginny and she said that she would make sure he took them."

Molly and Minerva laughed, "Yes, the one thing I'm sure of is that Harry seems to do just about anything Ginny asks of him," Molly said.

As Molly poured her some tea, Poppy looked at the two other women, "I take it you had some reason for not telling me that Harry and Ginny had Bonded?"

Molly and Minerva exchanged shocked glances, "Well, I,ah, we didn't think it was really relevant," Minerva said, embarrassingly. "How did you find out?"

It was Poppy's turn to laugh, "Well it's not because I'm omniscient. Harry let it slip when he was telling me what happened."

Molly and Minerva cringed slightly.

"Don't worry you two, Harry's and Ginny's secret is safe with me, Harry has enough on his shoulders without adding people knowing about him and Ginny Bonding adding to it."

Molly and Minerva breathed a sigh of relief. "That's good to know, Poppy," Minerva said. "It wasn't that we didn't trust you, it was just information that we didn't think you needed to treat him."

Poppy smiled, "No worries, I understand your reasoning. The thing is I was able to answer some of their questions concerning the Bond. That and I have a piece of information that I think will ease some of your concerns pertaining to them sleeping together."

Molly and Minerva sat up straighter, eager to hear what the matron had to say.

"I surmised from what Harry and Ginny said that you had some concerns, maybe not immediately, but as they got a little older, perhaps?" Poppy said with a knowing look.

"Yes," Molly admitted, "We're not really concerned about them sleeping together now, it's when they go through puberty, raging teen hormones and all," Molly said with a sigh.

"Well I'm here to allay your fears. The Bond will prevent them from consummating their relationship until they are fully Bonded." Poppy said with a grin.

"When will that be?" Molly asked.

"When they become of age," Poppy replied.

"You're sure of this?" Minerva asked.

"That's what was in the texts they taught us with and they'd been around for quite some time," said Poppy, shrugging slightly. "I know that there hasn't been a Bond in centuries but the medical texts should be accurate."

Minerva looked puzzled, "How does the Bond prevent them from becoming intimate before they come of age?" she asked, her brow furrowed.

"From what the text said they just won't have the urge to have intercourse before they are fully Bonded. It just won't occur to them that they could be indulging, in fact the text indicated that they would even be adverse to doing so"

Molly relaxed back into her rocker, "Thank you Poppy, you just dispensed my greatest fear."

"Well I'm glad I could help, If I'm not mistaken, their sleeping arrangements were a major source of contention," Poppy said knowingly.

Molly blushed, "Yes, and I'm sorry to admit it but I was having a huge problem with it. Ginny and I were having great difficulties resolving the issue."

Minerva's eyebrow shot up into her hairline at Molly's pronouncement, but she let it pass without comment, hoping with the information that Poppy had supplied, things would calm down.

Poppy finished her tea, "Well I really must get going. I'm glad I could be of help, and Molly please don't hesitate to contact me if you should need assistance with any medical issue. Anything I can't handle will be of such a major nature that you'll know St. Mungo's is needed immediately if not sooner." She then gave a laugh, "And if I'm not mistaken, young Harry will probably need my attention two or three times more this summer before returning to school."

Minerva almost choked on her tea at Poppy's comment. "Really, Poppy, only two or three? I would have thought you'd have said two or three per month."

All three women laughed, knowing Harry's habit of turning up in the Hospital Wing. After a quick round of hugs, Poppy flooed away, leaving Molly and Minerva alone in the parlour.

"That should allay you concerns," Minerva said softly.

Molly nodded, ashamed at the problems she had caused with her stance, but she knew it was just something she hadn't been able to control. Her motherly instinct had just screamed out against it.

"At least now, I can allow them to be together with out a guilty conscience," Molly said, conciliatorily.

Minerva just nodded in agreement, causing a fuss at this point would serve no purpose other than to possibly build resentment between them. She looked at the clock, "I should be going too, Molly. I'm glad that things are working out and it seems that Harry is settling in here just fine."

Molly sighed, "For the most part. Ron still has flashes of jealousy but he's improving and hopefully he'll continue to do so."

"Yes, so do I," Minerva said. "Boy's their age can be quite reticent about their friends and the fact that Harry is involved with a girl, who just happens to be his sister, must be a major challenge for Ron."

Molly rolled her eyes, "That's an understatement," she moaned.

Minerva chuckled, "Well I'm sure things will work themselves out. If you need me, you know where to find me," she said as she prepared to leave.

"Will you and Aberforth be coming to dinner any time soon?" asked Molly, her eyes twinkling.

Minerva smiled a bit shyly, "Maybe," she replied. "I'll see if I can't talk him into it."

Molly chuckled, "Yes most men can be enticed to do just about anything, if you give them a good "Talking" to,"

Minerva rolled her eyes, "Your incorrigible," she said, a smirk on her face. "On that note, I'm out of here." With one last shake of her head and a grin at Molly, she threw the Floo powder into the grate and vanished.

Molly sighed, glad that everyone had survived the day relatively intact and with the new information, Harry and Ginny could safely, at least to her mind, start sleeping together.

**XX HP + GW XX**

**A/N: Well, Poppy sure had a lot of information to pass on. Molly should calm down now and maybe peace can return to the Burrow. Just maybe.**

**The next question is where will Molly put Hermione, Ginny's Room as usual? Explaining sleeping arrangements ought to be fun, don't you think?**

**You know what goes here by now, my request for reader feedback, commonly referred to as a review.**


	18. Inner Demons

**Harry and Ginny: A Love Story**

**Chapter 18: Inner Demons**

Hermione arrived at the the Saturday following Harry's latest brush with evil. Molly was very surprised when Ron didn't immediately pay attention to her. Molly had decided that since Ginny and Harry were now taking turns sleeping in each other's room, she would put Hermione in Charlie's old room.

Hermione was a little confused by the change in sleeping arrangements at first but when she figured out that Harry was living at the Burrow now, it made a little more sense. Though she still didn't understand why she wasn't rooming with Ginny.

Molly had the Twins carry Hermione's trunk upstairs, and they smiled mischievously as they grabbed it. She made an effort to go with them but Molly snagged her and with her usual bone crunching hug welcomed her to the Burrow.

Hermione was surprised that neither Harry nor Ginny were around and she wondered where the could have been. She also found it rather strange that as eager as Ron had seemed in his note and his obvious look of happiness at her arrival, he hadn't done much more than said a quick hello to her and actually seemed to be avoiding her.

By the time the hoopla of her arrival had died down, the Twins had returned downstairs and she definitely did not like the smug looks they had on their faces. Sighing in resignation, she figured she was going to have to tolerate being the brunt of one or more of their pranks.

It was just about lunch time so Molly sent George up to get Harry and Ginny to come and join them. They arrived a short time later, and though Molly had relented and they were now sleeping together, they knew it was because of what had happened to Harry and they suspected Aunt Poppy had said something but as she hadn't told them about the Bond suppressing the urge to consummate their marriage, they didn't know for sure and so they remained slightly cool to Molly.

It pained Molly but she knew she was reaping the results of the discord she had sown. She watched as Harry and Ginny greeted Hermione but noticed that they really didn't pay much attention to her afterwards. In fact as she continued to watch they young Bonded couple she became aware that they seemed to be disconnected from almost everyone. Sure they answered questions and spoke when spoken to but they rarely initiated anything with someone else. That's not to say they weren't alert, active and animate. They seemed to share many glances, giggles and looks.

Most of the time they were quiet but Molly put that off to they seemed to communicate together almost exclusively by their mind link, and though they did seem slightly separate from the others, she could say with certainty that she had never seen them happier.

She had caught them several times unawares, and she had never seen such looks of love and devotion among any of the couples she had ever known. She had tried to voice her concerns to Arthur but he said that they needed to let Ginny and Harry work things out themselves and not to interfere, he was most adamant about that.

So it was at lunch that she noticed Ron's mood begin to change. He seemed to be watching Hermione and Ginny and seemed surprised when they didn't run off together to catch up, like he thought girls always did.

It was while everyone was beginning to separate after lunch when she overheard Ron speaking to Hermione.

"Hey Hermione, I'm glad you come over and stay awhile, I think it will be a good chance for you to get to know Ginny better. I know she didn't make many girlfriends last year at school,' he said offhandedly, as he sat down next to her.

Hermione looked at him shrewdly, she had noticed the completely different dynamic between him, Harry and Ginny and had figured out rather quickly what Ron's game was. It wasn't that she was totally against what he was trying to do, but how did you talk to someone when they were single-mindedly paying attention to someone else.

"Ron," she said patronizingly, "What is it that you really want me to do? Hummm? Ginny is obviously concentrating all her attention on Harry and from what I can see, he is doing the same with her."

Ron was shocked that Hermione seemed to be very aware of what was going on, at least here downstairs, where Ginny and Harry were interacting with everyone. Ron looked glum and rested his head in his one hand which was propped on his elbow on the table.

Hermione sympathetically patted his arm, "Why don't we go out back and talk about what's going on?"

Ron nodded his head, looking quite downhearted as they headed out into the garden. Molly watched them go with a wry grin, and she silently wished them luck because if they expected to get between Ginny and Harry they were going to need tons of it.

Once they got out back Hermione turned to Ron, "Okay Ron, what's really going on here?" she asked pointedly.

Ron shook his head and rolled his eyes in frustration, "That's the thing Hermione, I'm not really sure, but things have been happening that are a bit dodgy at best."

"Like what?" Hermione asked, not really expecting an informative answer.

"Well. . . .things have been strange, for one, McGonagall has been coming here pretty often," Ron said, his brow furrowed. "Right from when we got to King's Cross things have been all bollocksed up," he added, frustrated.

"Really, Ron! Such language," Hermione said, in disapproval.

"Hermione! You just don't know what it's been like!" said Ron, exasperatedly. "His uncle never even showed up at the station, Dad just announced that Harry was coming home to live with us. They gave him Bill's old room, for Godric's sake!"

"So that's it Ron? You're jealous because Harry got Bill's room?" Hermione asked disbelievingly.

"No!," Ron said sinking down dejectedly. "There's more to it than that. The first day back, Mum called me and the Twins into the parlour and explained that Harry and Ginny were being treated differently because they'd formed some kind of bond."

Hermione suddenly sat up, paying much closer attention, Ron had just given her a new piece of important information. "What? What kind of bond, did she say?" Hermione said excitedly.

Ron looked at her with a bewildered look, "What? No, just that they had some kind of bond and not to bug them about it," he said, irritably.

Hermione began to think very hard, trying to formulate a plan to research about bonds, somehow, some way.

"And that's not all. We've had a parade of people coming to the house. Why just a couple of days ago, something very scary happened with Harry," said Ron, getting up and pacing.

"What happened?" implored Hermione.

"I'm not sure, but Mum had the Twins grab Ginny and physically carry her from the Burrow, telling us to get as far away as possible. We could see the whole place shaking, like it would fall down," Ron said, his voice rising as he told the story.

Hermione listened eagerly waiting to hear more.

"And just when things were getting really bad, with Ginny kicking and screaming, she suddenly quieted down, the house quit shaking and Ginny pleasantly said, that Harry needed her and it was now safe to go back inside."

By now Hermione's mouth was hanging open, her eyes wide, mind racing trying to figure out what had been taking place.

"Mum seemed quite shaken up and left Harry and Ginny upstairs alone. She came down and the next thing I know McGonagall and Pomfrey turn up," Ron added, shaking his head and giving a slight shudder. "Give's me the willie's just thinking about it."

Hermione rolled her eyes, Ron's aversion to the Professor and Madam Pomfrey just didn't have the same affect on her. "Well, what happened?"

"That's just it, Hermione! I don't know," Ron said in resignation. "I didn't hear anything."

Then he got a faraway look in his eyes, like he was remembering something, "Man, you should have seen Pomfrey, I almost didn't recognise her, Hermione. I mean she was like out of uniform, looking just like a real person. That shouldn't be allowed," he said with a frown.

Hermione couldn't help but chuckle at Ron, his attitude was just like a five year old as far as she was concerned. "Ron, I hate to tell you this but she is a real person."

Ron looked at her like she was barmy, "No she isn't," he said incredulously. "She's a Dragon Lady, someone not to be crossed or zzzzzit," he said as he made a motion imitating a cut across his throat."

Hermione just rolled her eyes and shook her head, "Listen Ron," she said thoughtfully. "Obviously something pretty big happened when your Mum had you all flee. It must have scared her enough to have Madam Pomfrey come and check Harry over." She then got silent for a moment, thinking, "I bet it is connected somehow to this bond that your Mum mentioned. That's the key to figuring this out," she said smugly.

"So what can we do?" Ron asked glumly.

"All we can do is see if we can't find out more information and then go from there," she said, determinedly. Then with a big sigh, "I wish I had access to a library over the summer," she said wistfully.

Ron just rolled his eyes, muttering more to himself, "Just what I'd want to do over the summer, go to a bloody library."

Hermione obviously heard, because she looked daggers at him and headed back into the Burrow. She knew she'd not learn anything sitting out in the garden when the objects of her study were ensconced in the house.

Ron watched her go for a few seconds before he sighed, got up and began to follow her inside.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Harry and Ginny returned to Ginny's room after lunch. They had hardly paid attention to the others at the table, so wrapped up in each other they were. From the outside all one would observe is them looking at each other, most of the time with grins and smiles on their faces. Sometimes they'd laugh lowly or shake their heads, their grins widening.

"_Harry, do you think it's strange we hardly speak out loud any more?" _Ginny asked, lightly.

"_Not really, Ginny. I mean this is like the ultimate note passing in school and no one can intercept it. We can say anything to one another and no one else can overhear us. I find it really special," _Harry replied.

Harry was sitting up against the headboard of Ginny's bed, while she was further down, on her stomach with her legs bent at the knees and she was idly kicking her feet back and forth slowly as she picked at a loose thread in the embroidered design of her bedspread.

To the outsider the scene would have looked very bizarre. Two pre-teens sitting together, looking at one another, never speaking, most of the time hardly moving. It would have taken a keen observer to see the light in their eyes that danced and sparkled as they looked at one another.

Harry made to move slightly, readjusting himself to get more comfortable. He gave a little groan as he had a pain in his side.

"_What's the matter, Harry?" _Ginny asked in concern.

"_Nothing much, Ginny. I just still have a little stiffness from everything that I put my body through the other day,"_ Harry replied, trying hard not to get Ginny worried. It was just a minor spot that hurt now and then, especially when he was sitting in the same position for a while.

Ginny eyed him with a frown, "_If it keeps up, I want you to see Aunt Poppy!"_

Harry could feel Ginny's concern but also her displeasure at his thoughts of not wanting to do so. It wasn't so much that she was reading his mind or that they were sharing their thoughts, it was that she could feel is agitation about seeing the matron on a professional basis again.

"_All right, Ginny,"_ Harry conceded, feeling her disappointment, and the thing was it was the disappointment that did it. He would have resisted if she had just gotten angry or tried to tell him he had to. He knew he'd do just about anything not to disappoint her, she meant that much to him.

Ginny could tell that Harry would rather not have to see Poppy again, at least in a professional capacity. They had discussed her in depth after her visit, liking her warm and caring attitude she had displayed while treating Harry as opposed to her cool, stern persona that she had always shown them at Hogwarts.

Harry knew Ginny only wanted what was best for him, that she was genuinely concerned. Ginny had explained that while Harry was suffering the effects of helping cleanse her soul that she had felt his great distress. It wasn't that she was experiencing his pain but she was acutely aware of how much pain he was in and how it was effecting him.

They had come to the realization that besides speaking directly mind to mind, they shared emotions, or they could tell what their Bond-mate was feeling emotionally.

To Harry it was a dream come true, after being so mistreated at the Dursley's he now had someone who loved him unconditionally. He found waking up each and everyday with Ginny in his arms, so exhilarating, so emotionally satisfying that he couldn't believe that he had been able to survive without it.

To Ginny it was the same and more so. Though she had grown up in a large family, she had been something of an outsider to her brothers. After all, they were all "boys" and she was, of course a girl.

Right away she was something different, and though it wasn't that she was the enemy or anything, it was more that she was just different from them and so an unknown, that and being the youngest separated her. And hard as she tried to be included, she was often excluded because her brothers didn't understand her and the way she thought and acted.

It hadn't helped that her brothers were always told to take it easy on her, to treat her different, to be nice, it made her that outsider, just easier to avoid than have to be worried about how to treat her if they were doing anything.

But now she had her Harry, he was in effect her other half as she was his. He had saved her from a horrible fate, fighting the personification of evil for her very soul and now they were bound together, not by words or deeds, but by their love.

The couple of weeks that they had been together had mainly been learning about one another. The had spent endless hours talking and getting to know the other as thoroughly as possible.

Right now, Harry was just delighting in watching Ginny as she laid on the bed. The sun streaming through the window was creating the most amazing highlights in her hair. It was a fiery halo that surrounded her face and dancing as she moved, sparkling and shining, mesmerizing Harry, with her beauty.

"_So what do you think is up with Hermione?" _Ginny asked, obviously thinking hard. _"She certainly has that look about her that she has latched onto something and won't stop until she knows all about it."_

Harry frown, "_Yeah, and I think we're the "thing" she's latched onto, I could see it in her eyes."_

Ginny sighed, _"Yeah, I'm sure you're right. . . .So what are we going to do about it?_

Harry just shrugged, _"I don't know. Do you really think we have to do anything?"_

"_Probably not right now, and who knows, maybe not at all, I guess it depends on Hermione and how she acts," _Ginny said thoughtfully.

It was Harry's turn to sigh, "_I know, the thing is the way she gets a hold of some things and won't let go. We're not some lab rats for her to study," _he said darkly.

"_Yeah!" _agreed Ginny, with a determined look. They she looked questioningly at Harry, "_Harry? What are lab rats?"_

Harry couldn't help but chuckle.

"_I know what rats are, of course. I mean look at that pathetic excuse for a rat that Ron has. What the heck kind of name is Scabbers anyway?" _Ginny said derisively.

"_He is kind of a sad looking rat, isn't he?" _sent Harry, trying hard not to laugh.

"_Yeah," _chuckled Ginny, "_So what are lab rats?"_

"_Well Ginny, Muggles have these places where they work on stuff that's very similar to potions, and to see if they are safe they use a special breed of rats as test subjects," _Harry explained.

Ginny got a thoughtful on her face, "_Harry, how long do rats normally live?_

Harry chuckled, "_Good thing I use to go to muggle school, we learned that they live at the most three years. They're also rather smelly, we had some for a while we had to raise as a class project."_

Ginny looked troubled, "_I guess magical rats live longer, but I can't believe that it could be such a great difference."_

"_Why's that Ginny?" _asked Harry, feeling her discomfort.

"_Well. . . .Scabbers is a lot older than that. He looked old when Percy found him and he's passed him on to Ron. From what the Twins have said Percy had him before I was born."_

"_That's strange. . . .Think we should ask somebody about that?" _Harry asked Ginny, beginning to feel as troubled as she was.

"_I'm not sure,"_ Ginny replied. "_I mean won't we look foolish if it's just some rat who's lived a long time?"_

Harry thought about what Ginny had said, yes they might look foolish, but one of his Muggle teachers use to have a bunch of sayings and one popped into his head, "Better safe than sorry," he whispered.

"_What's that, Harry?" _Ginny asked, not understanding what Harry had mumbled.

"_Well, Miss Brown, my third grade teacher use to regale us with all these old sayings, __anyway, one was "Better safe than sorry."_

"_Really? That sounds like some of the old Wizard sayings, like "Don't poke a sleeping Dragon" or "One in the cauldron is worth two in the pond. They're supposed to teach little lessons, guess it's the same in both Muggle and Wizarding families, trying to teach the kids before they get injured," _Ginny said, with a small grin.

"_Yeah, adults are always trying to teach kids something." _He then gave a chuckle, "_I think they tried to hard with Hermione."_

Ginny couldn't help herself, she started to giggle, and that did nothing but feed into Harry's laughing. Soon they both were laughing and when Ginny gave Harry a little push, he pushed back a little harder.

Next thing they knew it had escalated into an all out tickle war. Ginny had a momentary advantage, but Harry's size and his wiry muscles from years of drudgery at Privet Dr. and the hard work he put in for Quidditch, proved to be Ginny's undoing.

Harry had Ginny pinned to the bed and he was unmercifully tickling her sides. She was laughing so hard, she had tears running down her cheeks as she kicked and struggled to get away.

"Stop! Harry please stop!" she screamed out loud, between her near hysterical laughter. Stop! Stop!. . . ."

Harry was laughing along with her but didn't relent. "That will teach you to try and tickle me," he said, grinning widely at her.

She was turning quite red, and she was starting to have a little trouble breathing.

"If I could get a hold . . . . of my wand. . . . you'd not be so smug!" Ginny got out between bouts of unrestrained laughter.

Just as things were starting to wind down, the door to Ginny's room burst open. Harry immediately froze, a shocked look plastered on his face as he stared at the assemblage of people standing inside and just outside the door.

Ginny was also, staring in shock at all the people. Her mother had a smirk on her face and you could tell she was trying hard not to burst out laughing at the predicament Ginny and Harry had been caught in.

Ginny was pinned to the bed with Harry straddling her near her waist. Her hands were trapped under Harry's knees, allowing his hands free. If Molly hadn't heard the laughter as she came to the door and only went by the screams and Ginny's shouts of Stop, Stop, she might have thought something else might have been going on.

Ginny spied the Twins behind her Mum, at first they had deep frowns on their faces, but when they correctly surmised what had been going on, they assumed devilish grins and Ginny knew she'd be hearing about this incident for years to come.

Harry still looked shocked as he slowly released Ginny and backed off her body. Molly's and the Twin's looks didn't bother him, but Ron's and Percy's were very troubling. Percy looked disgusted but Ron's was more of halfway between annoyance and anger.

He almost broke out laughing again when he saw Hermione's face, she was blushing almost as deeply as any of the Weasleys. Harry was glad when he saw her taking Ron by the elbow, steering him away while talking lowly to him.

"All right you lot, the entertainment is over, go find something else to do or I'll find something for you," Molly said sternly, though you could see her still trying to stifle her grin.

Once all the others had departed, she closed the door and turned around to face them. At first she thought it was quite hilarious but when she looked at the pair sitting on the edge of the bed, her heart froze. Ginny's look didn't bother her, even though there was a touch of defiance there, it was Harry that she was concerned about.

He was very pale and he wouldn't meet her eyes. She could see he was shaking a little, wringing his hands and had his head down as if he was trying to make himself as small as possible.

As she was looking at him, she noticed Ginny looking at Harry, her look becoming more and more concerned by the moment.

"Harry, what's wrong?" Ginny asked softly.

"I'm sorry," he sobbed out. "Sorry for causing a disturbance," he whispered.

"Harry, you have nothing to be sorry about," Molly said gently, coming over to him slowly, so as not to startle him. She knelt down in front of him, gently lifting his head so she could see into his eyes.

She was shocked to see tears there and something that she hadn't expected to find, terror, Harry was terrified. Molly found her eyes welling up too. "Harry what's wrong, dear?"

"Please don't beat me for making to much noise, I promise I won't do it again," he whispered, his voice sounding very strained as he fought his terror.

"Harry, didn't we tell you we'd never beat you?" she said, sniffling and trying hard not to cry.

"I forgot," he said, sobbing. "Ever since I let the memories out when Mr. Moody came and asked me questions, I sometimes have a hard time remembering that I don't get hit here. When you all surprised me, I was sure I was going to be beaten with my uncle's belt again.

Ginny threw her arms around Harry and pulled him into a tight hug. "It's okay, Harry," she said softly into his ear. "It's only natural that you'd have a little trouble, I mean you haven't really been here that long."

She could feel Harry still shivering and shaking lightly. "_Shhh," _ she sent as she gently rubbed his back, letting him bury his head into her shoulder."

Molly sat on his other side, and she began to rub his back too. For a moment she thought Ginny was going to protest, but then with a nod, Ginny gave her permission for her to continue.

"Harry," she softly said as she bent her head trying to see his face. "I want you to know that you're not in any trouble and I want you to know again, Arthur and I will not beat you, or any of the other children. Especially you Dear, I know that with your past that would be a very traumatic thing to do. We also would never beat you because we love you, Harry, you never beat those that you love."

Ginny felt Harry shaking harder, and she realized he was crying into her shoulder. "_Oh, Harry," she cried. "I wish I could take away these bad memories just like you did for me. Can you tell me how you did it?"_

She felt Harry stiffen, "_Ginny, even if I knew I wouldn't tell you. You have no idea how bad of an experience that was."_

Ginny nodded softly, she could feel Harry's emotions as he thought about his fighting the evil he had removed from her. "_I know, Harry, but as bad as your experiences with your relatives were, I can't believe that they were anywhere as horrible and evil as Tom."_

Harry paused for a moment, considering what Ginny had said, "_That may be true, Ginny, but they're bad enough and I will do anything so you don't have to experience anything like that ever again."_

Molly could tell that they were mind-speaking, she was beginning to be able to read the subtle changes that came over them as they did so.

She was happy that Harry seemed to be calming down as she and Ginny comforted him. She was only able to do so physically for the moment but she could tell he was responding well to whatever Ginny was saying.

"_I'm tired Ginny, can we take a nap or something?" _Harry asked tiredly.

"_Sure thing, Harry. I'll tell Mum and then we can lay down for a while, okay?"_

"_Okay, Ginny. And tell her I'm sorry to be such a bother. I don't mean to be a burden."_

Ginny rolled her eyes in frustration, after all their talk just now, he was still worried about how he was effecting everyone else.

"Mum," she said softly, "Harry and I are going to lay down for a while."

"Okay dear, I'll just leave you two alone then," Molly whispered as she rose.

"_Tell her!" _Harry sent a little hotly. "_Tell her, or I will."_

"_Okay, Harry. I didn't mean to upset you," _She sent sadly.

"Mum, Harry wants me to tell you he's sorry to be a such a bother and he didn't mean to be a burden," Ginny said, her eyes filling with tears.

Molly looked like she was going to say something, so Ginny shook her head so minutely that Molly barely saw, but the look in her eyes told Molly everything that she need to know.

Ginny watched her mother leave the room before she pulled Harry down onto the bed. She let him cuddle into her side, "_I didn't mean to upset you," _she sent tenderly, but sadly. Harry's anger had stung a little, even though she knew it was a result of his emotions running away from him.

She felt Harry sag, and she felt him become even more melancholy. "_I'm sorry Ginny. I didn't mean to yell. I'll be really in the shite if I alienate you."_

Ginny let Harry's cursing slide by, knowing how upset he still was. "_I'm not sure that's possible," _she said, trying to say it light and cheerful, but she knew she didn't.

Harry just nodded, but she did feel his melancholy lift a bit so she was a little pleased about that. She kept him wrapped in a loose embrace, gently rubbing his back and giving him small hugs and a few kisses in his hair or on his forehead.

Slowly Harry relaxed and drifted off to sleep, wondering if he would ever stop being such an emotional mess.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Molly headed downstairs and met everyone waiting in the kitchen. She sighed and went to make a pot of tea.

The Twins immediately knew something was wrong and their gleeful looks disappeared from their faces.

"What's the matter, Mum? Fred asked.

"Yeah, Mum, what happened after we all left?" George added, his concern showing just as much as Fred's.

Molly looked around, Fred, George and to a lesser extent, Hermione all looked concerned. Percy looked extremely annoyed and Ron had a deep frown on his face. She was sure he had gotten mad but she felt that it was now tempered because he didn't have enough information to act upon.

"We'll have a talk in the parlour as soon as the tea is ready. Do any of you wish to join me?" Molly asked wanly.

Hermione was the only taker, so Molly told them all to go into the parlour and she would be there in a moment.

Molly made the tea, taking great care to make it meticulously, buying her time so she could get her emotions under control and think about what she wanted to say.

She placed the tea pot and cups on a tray and made her way into the waiting assembly. She sat down in her rocker after placing the tray on the stand nearby. Again, very carefully she poured and served the tea in an almost ritualistic fashion.

She wasn't surprised to see Percy hadn't joined them, Ron was the only one who seemed impatient to hear what she had to say. Once she had taken a sip of her tea, she looked at everyone looking at her.

"So, what's going on Mum?" George asked.

"Was something other than a tickle war going on?" Fred added.

Molly watched Ron's face darken as he heard Fred's comment. "No, there was nothing else going on," she said softly.

"Then why did it take you like forever to come back down?" said Fred.

"And why do you look so sad?" George asked, a confused expression on his face.

Molly sighed, "You'd be sad too, if you saw the way Harry reacted to being caught and it wasn't because he was tickling Ginny. It was because he had been making noise."

She could see the puzzled looks on all their faces, "Mum, we've made more noise than that on a bad day," George said.

"Yeah, on a good day, I'm sure they hear us in Ottery St. Catchpole," Fred added, shaking his head, not believing what she had said.

Molly couldn't help but smile, if anyone could make noise it was her two resident pranksters. "I know that boys, you know that and just about anyone who lives within ten miles knows it, I'm sure."

"The thing is Harry doesn't, and. . . ." Molly had to stop a moment as her tears and emotions threatened to erupt again. ". . . .he was. . . .he was beaten, if he made any noise at his relatives."

Molly was gratified and not surprised at all, when she saw the outraged faces on everyone there, even Ron. Hermione was just about in tears and would probably be crying fully any minute. The Twins had such looks of anger and determination on their faces, it actually scared her.

"Boy's," she said sternly, looking directly at the twins, "As much as they deserve it, I forbid you to take any, and I mean ANY, action against his relatives. Have I made myself clear?"

She could see that they didn't like it one bit, but she also saw the look that let her know that they would obey her. She breathed a sigh of relief. "I want you all to try and not treat Harry any differently. I'm sure he'd be mortified to find out I had said anything to you at all."

She was glad to see all her children nodding, knowing that there would be severe repercussions if they ignored her. The one that troubled her was Hermione, though she really couldn't tell her what to do, she hoped that she would follow what she had been told. The problem was, Molly could see the conflicted expression on her face.

The boys started to drift away, looking thoughtful, their previously happy faces now darkened by what they had heard. Molly looked back at Hermione, "Did you wish to say something?" she asked.

Hermione still had an extremely troubled look on her face, "I don't know," she answered hesitantly. "I mean I can understand why you said what you did, but I feel awful and want to do something to help Harry."

Molly smiled wanly, "Hermione, the best thing you can do for Harry is not to mention it. Ginny is handling taking care of the comforting Harry department."

Hermione nodded thoughtfully, then she looked puzzled,"I've been wondering, what is going on between Harry and Ginny?"

Molly looked very appraisingly at Hermione, she wasn't one of their children, but she was a close friend of Harry's. Coming to a decision, "Hermione, this is strictly confidential. It absolutely can go no further than the Burrow. Do you understand?"

She saw Hermione's eyes fill with fear, "Is something the matter with Harry?" she asked lowly.

Molly couldn't help but smile, "That depends on your definition of what that is." She saw Hermione's confused look, "See, something has happened to Harry and Ginny. It's not anything to be worried for them about, but it will mean huge changes in their lives."

Molly was a little gratified to see Hermione was still bewildered, at least the "smartest witch of her age", didn't know everything, yet. "They have become Bond-mates," Molly said, pointedly.

From the expression that Hermione had, she knew that Ron must have told her, but she could tell that Hermione didn't understand all the implications.

"What's that mean for Harry and Ginny?" Hermione asked, sill looking bewildered.

"Well, they are now what is called, Bond-mates" Molly explained

"Bond-mates?" she whispered.

"Yes, Bond-mates," Molly repeated. "Let me tell you what that means," she said kindly to the young witch. "They have formed a Soul-bond. If they were of age, it would mean they would be married in the eyes of the Wizarding World."

Molly almost laughed once again when she saw Hermione's eyes bug out. Married?" she said incredulously.

"Yes, married. The fact they are both so young means that they are only betrothed for now. Are you familiar with that term, dear. It hasn't been used in the Muggle world for quite a long time," Molly asked, pleasantly.

Hermione nodded, "Yes, I read all about betrothals when I studied the Renaissance."

"There's more too," Molly added.

"About the Bond?"

"Not that you need to worry about, but there is more concerning Harry and his life," Molly continued.

"Like what?" Hermione asked anxiously.

"You heard me tell about how Harry has been mistreated, because of that Minerva McGonagall, Arthur and I have become Harry's guardians."

Hermione's mind began to race, she had a myriad of questions that she wanted answered. But the most important one right now was, "Will Harry be okay?"

Molly smiled thinly, wondering that herself, but not wanting to let the children know of her doubts, she said "I hope so, Hermione. I certainly hope so."

Hermione kept Molly busy answering questions until it was time for her to start preparing dinner. As she went into the kitchen, she silently cursed the fact that Arthur was having to work every other Saturday. Sure the extra Galleons were nice but it seemed every time she had to deal with something major, he was working on that day.

**XX HP + GW XX**

**A/N: Harry still is fighting his inner demons, someone who has come out of the situation he was in doesn't just waltz away. The inner are much trauma being much harder to heal than external, physical trauma. This fact was even know to the Romans, Publilius Syrus wrote in the 1st century BC "The pain of the mind is worse than the pain of the body."**

**Any one who has battled inner demons will know of what I speak.**

**As always, please review.**


	19. Feeling Lucky Kid?

**Harry and Ginny: A Love Story**

**Chapter 19: Feeling Lucky Kid?**

It was after dinner and Ron came across Hermione back at the kitchen table and she looked like she was doing an essay. Wondering what she could possibly be doing, he sat down beside her and glanced at the heading.

"_The Magical and Muggle Worlds, more alike that you'd think"_

Ron was really bewildered, "What are you writing Hermione?" he asked.

Hermione beamed at him, "It's for an essay contest the Daily Prophet is running."

Ron rolled his eyes, "Why in the world would you want to write an essay over the summer if you didn't have to?" he asked, bewilderedly.

Hermione got a rather smug look on her face, "Well, it really helps to keep your writing skills polished over the summer. . . "

Ron rolled his eyes again.

". . . .and it doesn't hurt that there is a 100 Galleon prize."

Suddenly Ron was very interested, "100 Galleons," he managed to squeak out, sounding very comical.

Hermione couldn't help but laugh at Ron, even he started laughing too after a moment. He was just glad the Twins hadn't heard or they would have been taking the mickey out on him for ages.

"So, a little more interested now, aren't you?" Hermione said with a knowing smile.

Ron could see the smug look in Hermione's eyes, "So," he said a bit defensively.

"Ron, don't be so defensive, I'm only trying to help," Hermione said a bit sadly. She hated that just because she was trying to help him be better at something, that he resented it.

Ron nodded, his enthusiastic look returning, "So what do you need to write about?" he asked.

Hermione pulled out a copy of the Prophet that was folded over to an inside page. "Here are the rules, this contest is fairly easy really, as there is no assigned topic. You just pick something to write about."

Ron looked bewildered, he had never just written anything on his own like that, the only essays he ever did were for school and a particular class. "Like what?" he asked.

Hermione was going to make a flippant remark, but then saw the genuine confusion on his face. "Well, it's usually best to write about something you know and really like. That way you're likely to write from the heart, letting the judges know that you really care and are interested in the subject. So what do you like the most?"

Ron began to open his mouth when Hermione smirked and said, "Besides food."

"Ha, ha , ha, Miss Smarty-pants," he said, but surprisingly with little rancour. He looked thoughtful for a moment, "I guess the two things I like the most are Quidditch and Chess."

"Great," said Hermione, "Which one do you think you could write something exciting and thought provoking on?"

Ron didn't hardly hesitate, "I'd say Quidditch, I mean Chess can be really though provoking but I'd hardly say it was really exciting."

"Good, now you need to narrow it down. Some way to make it different and interesting, virtually everybody knows about Quidditch, what do you know or think about it that would be something that might interest others. Something that would make them look at it in a new way."

Ron got really thoughtful, his brow furrowing, though he thought all this was a lot of hard work, the thoughts of 100 Galleons was a pretty powerful incentive.

Frustrated he looked at Hermione, "Can you give me a little help here?" he asked.

"Well, what makes you different than the average person when it comes to Quidditch?" Hermione asked.

Ron gave a little laugh, "I guess the fact that I'm a Chudley Cannon's fan."

"And why does that make you unusual?" Hermione prompted, see the light go on inn Ron's eyes.

"Well I guess it's because they have the longest losing streak in history," he replied.

"There you go, write about why you're still a fan even though the rarely win."

"Rarely! Didn't you hear me Hermione, longest losing streak, they never win," Ron said with a shrug.

"Then why are you still a fan?" Hermione asked softly, hoping to bring out what she knew was there.

"They're my team, Hermione. Yeah, I wish they'd win, but they're still my team even if they don't," Ron stated matter-of-factually.

"That's right Ron, Loyalty. Write it from that perspective, show the judges what a truly loyal fan is."

Ron looked happy, but a determined light shone in his eyes, "Hermione, can I borrow a roll of parchment?"

"Sure Ron," she said happily, digging in her bag for another piece.

Ron went to the cupboard at the end of the kitchen where Molly kept an assortment of stuff and he came back with a quill and a bottle of ink. He sat down and looking thoughtful for a moment wrote across the top, "_The Chudley Cannons, My Team, Win or Lose!"_

Hermione smiled at Ron as he began to write, she saw him take on such a look of passion that she had never seen in him before. He wrote deliberately, never hesitating, letting his thoughts flow out and onto the parchment. Feeling very satisfied, she turned back to her own essay and began to write.

It was a bit later when Molly came out of the Parlour and was surprised to see Ron with Hermione at the table. Well not surprised he was with her, but surprised because he was writing an essay.

Her motion drew Hermione's eye and she looked at Molly and smiled. Molly nodded in Ron's direction, smiling in approval of what Hermione had accomplished. Molly refreshed her tea and went back into the Parlour, happy that Hermione had gotten Ron interested in doing something useful over the summer.

Towards Nine o'clock, Molly returned and was happy that Ron was still working diligently. "Would you two like some snacks and something to drink?" she asked softly.

Ron barely looked up, "Sure Mum, that would be great," he said, before turning back to his essay.

Molly's eyebrow shot up in wonder and Hermione just gave a shrug as she smiled. Molly nodded in approval and began to put together a plate of snacks.

It was close to ten when Molly returned to make sure everything was set for the morning before heading off to bed. She was just finishing up when Ron set his quill down with a sigh, a satisfying look on his face.

"May I see it?" Hermione asked.

At first Ron seemed hesitant, but he finally relented, looking bashful, "I hope it's okay," he said hesitantly, "after all it is my first attempt."

Hermione was reading down the page and Ron hard a hard time reading her face. She looked deep in thought, nit smiling at what he had written like he had hoped. As she reached the bottom, he said softly, "Well, is it okay?"

Hermione looked up at him with a shocked look on her face and Ron was expecting her to tear his work apart. Instead she said awestruck, "Okay? Ron this is fabulous. This is what I wish I could get you to do for school."

Molly heard Hermione's praise, "May I read it, Ronald?" she asked gently.

Again, very hesitantly he agreed, handing over the parchment to his mother. Once again with some trepidation, he watch as she read his essay.

When she was done, she smiled up at Ron, "I agree with Hermione, Ron. This is excellently done. I'm proud of you, even if you don't win the contest."

Ron just snorted, "Yeah like I really have a chance with Hermione entering."

"Ron, don't think like that, this isn't for a grade, it's being able to appeal to the judges and trust me, I really think you have a good chance, as good as if not better than I do," Hermione said sincerely.

Ron smiled and just shrugged, thinking "Yeah, the 100 Galleons would be great, but it's amazing, I really enjoyed doing that. Plus Mum was really pleased."

Molly smiled at the two children, "All right, off to bed you two. Tomorrow we'll send these off to the Prophet."

Ron was surprised at how tired he felt, after all, he had just been sitting at the table and writing, not something that he normally associated with strenuous work.

As they got to the landing where Hermione's room was they paused, Hermione smiling tiredly at him. "I'm really proud of you too Ron. I think you did a terrific job on that essay. I hope you win."

Ron smiled at her, "You know Hermione, it's not really that important to me right now. Though I won't turn the Galleons down if I do win."

Hermione chuckled, "Good night Ron, see you in the morning."

Feeling strangely please with Hermione's praise even more than from his mother, he smiled back and said, "Goodnight Hermione."

**XX HP + GW XX**

Ginny lay holding Harry while he slept. He looked so much more at peace at the moment and she was glad that he wasn't in any distress. She was idly running her hand through his unruly hair, softly stroking him, trying to let her feelings of love literally flow out of her and into him.

She still had a hard time accepting how badly he had been treated. Hearing about all what had been done was difficult enough. She hadn't actually seen it so it wasn't quite as real as seeing the results when Harry broke down or reacted in some way to what had happened to him.

Through the Bond she was feeling Harry's contentment at the moment and a subdued happiness. She had to giggle softly as he snuggled a little tighter into her side.

Her thoughts drifted back to the talk her mother had with her when she turned ten, trying to prepare her for her transition from child to young woman. It had seemed all so abstract and far off back then, but somehow with this boy laying next to her, filling her with warmth and wonderful feelings, it seemed all that much more real.

She hadn't really thought about it till the other morning when Harry had commented on the changes her body seemed to be under going. The thing she found amazing was that the changes seemed to be happening at a much faster pace that her mother had led her to believe.

She swore that at the end of the school year, before leaving Hogwarts, she had been as flat chested as a proverbial board, now, while not huge, she definitely had the beginnings of breasts.

That fact was brought home, as Harry's head shifted on her chest and lay right on top of one. In his sleep he had nuzzled his head into her, causing sensations she had never experienced before to flood through her, and far from being uncomfortable, she had found the sensations quite pleasurable.

In doing so, Ginny felt slightly ashamed without really understanding why. It wasn't like her parents had ever told her such feelings were bad or anything, she thought it must have been because it was so pleasurable and no one had told her anything about them to begin with.

The more she thought about it though, ashamed wasn't the right word, confused, and private. Private was a more appropriate word for what she felt. It wasn't something she felt comfortable sharing, well with anyone other than Harry. She knew because of the way they felt what each other was feeling, there was no way she would be able to keep it from him.

She did find this a bit puzzling, after all, normally sharing such intimate things with a boy would be the most embarrassing thing she could conceive of. Somehow it just seemed right to share it with him, almost like she had to, or was supposed to.

Ginny sighed, another thing she wanted answers on and she didn't know who to go to. She knew that her Mum would expect her to come to her with such things but there was still some feelings of resentment on how she had treated her and Harry.

Thinking of Harry gave her the answer she needed, Aunt Poppy! If anyone should know about the changes a girl went through it was her. Ginny couldn't help but smile, now all she had to do was figure out how to have the talk with her without upsetting her Mum.

Looking at the clock, she saw it was almost time for dinner and she decided to wake Harry up. Gently she caressed his cheek, somehow in deep sleep he seemed much younger than he did awake. Smiling she tenderly kissed the top of his head, then gently shook him.

She felt his coming awake through the Bond. It was an amazing thing to experience as his feelings became stronger and more readable.

"_Hey, love. Time to get up," _she sent softly.

"_Thanks Ginny, I feel a lot better now," _he replied.

"_I know,"_ she sent back with a grin.

Harry couldn't help himself and giggled. "_Yeah, I guess so."_

Ginny felt Harry sigh, "_I love this," _he sent with a smile.

"_What's that, Harry?"_

"_Laying here with you, silly. Your so warm and comfortable to be with. Everything bad __seems so far away and all I feel is your love for me."_

Ginny hugged Harry tightly, feeling his well being fill her. It was so amazing to her, she could vaguely remember summers home before Harry had entered her life and she knew she had never felt so wonderful, ever!

She then recalled her desire to talk to Poppy. "_Harry, I need to get a message to Aunt Poppy and I don't want Mum to know. Any ideas?"_

She felt Harry's confusion, and she didn't understand at first.

"_Ginnnyyyy?_ Harry sent looking at her bewilderedly, "_Ah Hedwig? Remember her, large Snowy Owl, feathers, flies letters all over the Wizarding World?_

"Oh, Godric," Ginny moaned out loud, "You must think I'm a complete idiot!"

Though he chuckled, he sent "_No I don't Ginny. We're two kids who have had so much thrown at us in a short period of time, sometimes I'm surprised we remember our names."_

Ginny hugged Harry even tighter, "You a_lways seem to know just what to say," _she sent with a smile.

"_Come on then, lets get that message written so we can get it sent before dinner," _Harry said, starting to get up.

Ginny watched him stand, he still seemed a bit tired and a bit melancholy, but not as nearly bad as he had been. She knew that it was going to be a long, if not perpetual job working on Harry's damaged psyche.

Harry reached out his hand to help Ginny rise, smiling at her. She knew he had felt her emotions about her thoughts but was glad he couldn't read her mind, worried about what he would have thought of her assessment.

They made their way into Harry's room, Ginny going to his desk, grabbing a piece of parchment and his quill. She jotted down her request and rolled it up sealing it with Harry's wand that way laying on his desk.

Harry had Hedwig resting on his forearm, gently ruffling her neck feathers and smiling at her reaction. Hedwig was leaning into Harry's touch, and Ginny was sure she could see the contentment on the Owl's face. She was hooting softly, a soft comforting sound, filled with love and devotion.

"Hey Girl, ready to take Ginny's message?" he whispered.

Hedwig nipped his finger affectionately and though Ginny knew it was impossible, she swore smiled at Harry. Ginny had to shake her head, not believing what her eyes told her she had seen.

As Ginny let Hedwig take the scroll, she petted her too, "Thank you Hedwig," she said softly, smiling at the beautiful owl.

Harry took Hedwig over to the window, and gently tossed her up into the air outside, with a couple beats of her powerful wings she circled once and took off, heading north to deliver her precious cargo.

Harry and Ginny stood there watching till Hedwig disappeared from sight. Harry turned to Ginny, "_Want to tell me what you're writing Aunt Poppy for?" _he asked, hesitantly.

Ginny didn't understand his feelings at first, "_I'd rather not right now, Harry," _she sent shyly.

Harry got thoughtful, "_You'd tell me if you had written her to come check my side, wouldn't you? I mean I promised I'd let her look at it if it got worse or didn't get any better," _he said, feeling disappointed slightly.

Ginny got a shocked look on her face, it had never occurred to her that Harry would think it was about him. _"Oh, Godric, Harry! No, please believe me it has nothing to do with you. I wouldn't go behind your back if you promised to do it yourself if it got to bad. I just need to find some things out and I'd rather wait before I find out if it's something I need to talk to you about."_

Harry felt her genuine fear that she wouldn't be believed. He smiled reassuringly at her, "_Okay, Ginny. I believe you. I'm sorry I doubted you. It's just I've never had much reason to trust people, and I should know better with you."_

"_It's understandable, Harry. It's in the past, we both need to come to trust each other fully. After all, we've only been together for a couple of weeks, Trust takes time to build, and while we have a certain amount that seems to be inherent in our relationship, it will take time till we are completely sure of one another."_

Harry nodded and hugged Ginny to him, letting their love flow between them. It was at times like this, where they were just holding each other in each others arms that Harry felt Ginny's love the most. Whether standing or snuggled together in the bed, it didn't seem to matter. Holding and being held by her was without a doubt the most satisfying thing he had ever done.

They had no concept of how long they had been standing there, each letting the other fill them, feeling the warmth, smelling each other's tantalizing fragrance, not really thinking, just being, with their other half.

They were broken out of the spell by someone yelling up the stairs, "Ginny! Harry! Dinner!"

They stared into each others eyes for a moment, shy smiles forming on the lips, as if some secret had been shared. Ginny gave Harry a quick peck on the lips, "Come on, let's not keep them waiting."

Hand in hand, they slowly descended the stairs, ready to join the family for Dinner.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Poppy Pomfrey was sitting at her dressing table, brushing out her hair. It was a simple pleasure she enjoyed for more than the way it made her feel. It didn't really take any get thought to do, allowing her to think about almost anything else. She had solved many a problem by simply sitting and brushing her hair.

It was still fairly early and she didn't really have anything planned for the day. She thought maybe she'd work in the garden, if it wasn't to humid or hot, and there was always something to read, though she knew as much as she should read the latest medical updates, she had a novel she really wanted to read and she knew she'd end up with that if it came to reading.

She was startled out of her rumination by the appearance of a beautiful Snowy Owl on her windowsill. She looked at Poppy and hopped over to the edge of the dressing table, depositing the scroll gently into Poppy's hand.

Poppy quickly conjured a goblet of water for Hedwig and summoned a couple of owl treats from her bedside table. While Hedwig partook of the offerings, Poppy quickly read the note from Ginny. She smiled to herself, though the note didn't say directly, Poppy was pretty sure what Ginny was asking help with.

""Please wait a moment, I'd like to send a reply," she said kindly to Hedwig.

Hedwig hooted her understanding and took another sip of water, while Poppy went to her writing desk and jotted down a reply. She went back and said to Hedwig, "Here you go, and it might be better if you gave it to her away from her parents."

Hedwig nodded her understanding, jumped back to the windowsill and took flight. Poppy sighed as she watched her fly away, saying lowly, "She is a beautiful owl."

Poppy went and began to dress, he plans had suddenly changed and she needed to get ready, have breakfast and gather a few informative materials that may be helpful, before she needed to go.

Finishing dressing, she looked at herself in the mirror, glad that she was available to help someone she was coming to adore as part of a special couple that Poppy was sure was destined for great things. After all, if history told anything at all about Bonded Couples, it was they were there at that time for a purpose, always the focal point at some momentous moment of historical importance.

Poppy was concerned because the way things were looking, it would be the re-emergence of The Dark Lord that would be the part in history that Harry and Ginny would be called upon to handle. Though the Bonded couple usually prevailed, sometimes the price was exceedingly high. They were almost without exception, times of great death and destruction, not only for the Magical, but also the Muggle world.

Taking a deep breath, she just hoped that Harry and Ginny had enough time yet to prepare and grow, they were still so young though she knew in her heart, their innocence had been striped away by the one who fancied himself a Lord.

Fortunately or unfortunately, depending on your point of view, Poppy Pomfrey was one of the few who knew the real identity of the one who called himself Lord Voldemort. Not even the great Albus Dumbledore was aware that she knew that fact and she was in no hurry to let him know.

Poppy sat at the table, silently eating her breakfast and only doing so out of habit. The message from Ginny had triggered her train of thought and it inevitably led to her worst memory of all.

She had been engaged, quite late for a witch, being thirty two, but with her medical training and her dedication, she had not had much free time for what she had considered trivial pursuits. But then Brian had entered her life and they were going to be married.

She remembered how happy they had been, and she found herself going over to the mantle to gaze at the only thing she had left, one slightly battered picture of them together, so in love.

It was then that he who called himself Voldemort had begun his rise, terrorizing the Wizarding World, but like all self-styled tyrants there were always those who fought for what was right, no matter what.

Brian had been such a man, bold, fearless, refusing to bow down, defying he who would not be denied.

Poppy picked up the picture and holding it close to her chest, she sat down, staring at the man she still loved. Tears started to slowly trail down her face as she remembered in horrifying detail the night her world had exploded.

They had met for a quiet dinner the week before their nuptials, they travelled to a small inn far in the countryside, out where they had hoped to live someday, among the quiet fields, and starry skies well away from any city.

They had been trying to be very discreet, not because of the fear of people condemning them for premarital activities, but because there was a rumour that Voldemort was looking for her and her skills at healing. Back then it was join him or die.

Brian had been worried but knew they couldn't hide forever, but that he'd do whatever it would take to keep her safe. Somehow Voldemort and some of his oldest and most ardent supporters had tracked Brian and her to the inn.

Brian had made her promise to get to safety, to get help as fast as she could, while he magically reinforced the small inn, attempting to keep the evil at bay till she could return.

It was while saying goodbye and having the last kiss she ever shared with her love, that she heard one of the black cloaked men refer to Voldemort as Tom and even though his features were already becoming distorted because of his delving into the Dark Arts so deeply, she recognized Tom Riddle for who he was.

Against her better judgement, she had promised and left to get help. It infuriated her at the constant delays in assembling enough of Albus' vaunted Order members and the steadfastly refusal to let her leave without them.

By the time they had returned with sufficient force, the battle was long over. Her beloved Brian lay dead amidst the wreckage of the inn with the bodies of three Death Eaters for company.

That was the day she lost all respect for Albus Dumbledore, she stayed at Hogwarts not out of any loyalty to him but for the children that became her only source of solace.

And now it looked like the mad man was returning, once more to throw the world into chaos. Well Poppy had vowed that she would do whatever was in her power to help those who opposed him, yes even Albus, though again it wasn't for him, it was because it was right.

Now she had another chance to help, this young, special, loving and caring Bonded couple who she was fast coming to love, wanted her help. She would give it freely and lovingly, in remembrance of Brian.

Placing the picture back on the mantle. She saw it was time for her to go, smiling wryly to herself, she knew just the excuse to give to Molly, she was stopping by to check on Harry's recovery. She knew he really didn't need a visit, but it wouldn't hurt to check him over and she could spend time with Ginny and help her with her questions of a personal nature.

**XX HP + GW XX**

It was at breakfast that things got a little dicey for Harry and Ginny. Molly asked if she could use Hedwig to send Ron's and Hermione's essays to the Daily Prophet and Harry had almost choked on his juice.

Ginny told herself she was definitely going to have to work with him on keeping a calm exterior if he was ever going to learn to keep a secret.

"_Harry! Just say she's out hunting and you don't know when she'll be back!" _Ginny chided playfully, not wanting to upset him any further.

"_Okay, okay Ginny. I'm sorry I'm not a master at concealing my feelings," _he replied.

Ginny was happy that she felt some humour along with his nervousness. Maybe he had some potential after all.

"I'm pretty sure she's out hunting, Mrs. Weasley," he replied.

Ginny saw her Mum flinch at his continued use of Mrs. Weasley and though it bothered her a little, she still wasn't ready to fully forgive her mother just yet. She also noticed the frown forming on her mothers face, but then, fate intervened in the form of the twins bursting out in laughter.

Hermione stood at the bottom of the stairs, her hair standing straight out from her head. She was obviously not pleased. Her eyes came to rest on Fred and George who were practically rolling on the floor by this point.

Ginny saw her mother intake of a huge breath, priming her lungs for the diatribe that would be coming forth in a matter of seconds.

"_Quick, cover you ears!" _she sent to Harry.

Harry hastened to comply even while asking "_Why?"_

Ginny never got a chance to answer, Molly exploded with the force of a small bomb. "WHAT HAVE YOU TWO DONE? SHE'S A GUEST IN OUR HOME AND THIS IS HOW YOU TREAT HER!"

Ginny was looking into Harry's eyes, hers alive with merriment. At first she saw Harry cringe a little but when he saw Ginny's eyes laughing, he relaxed, and Ginny breathed a sigh of relief. At least for today, this wasn't going to trigger another panic attack in him.

"_Told you!" _she laughed.

"_Wow, I've never heard someone so loud," _Harry said.

They watched as Hermione came into the kitchen, eyes ablaze at the Twins and Ron, who was laughing almost as hard as the Twins.

Ginny watched Harry carefully, though not frightened, he was feeling a bit sad and confused. _"What's wrong, Harry?" _she asked.

"_I'm not really sure Ginny. I think we need to talk a little later. I need to think about this, okay?" _Harry sent his emotions letting her know of his confusion.

"_Okay, Harry. Whenever you're ready, you know I'll listen," _ Ginny sent tenderly.

Slowly Molly's volume dropped and the Twins seemed somewhat chastised by the lambasting they received.

"Change her hair back this instant," Molly insisted, Harry and Ginny heard when they turned their focus back to the others.

Both Fred and George got pained expressions, "Ah, well, see that's the rub, Mum," said George, staring at the floor.

"Yeah Mum, we don't actually know how to undo it," Fred said, cringing.

"But it shouldn't last more than an hour," George stated.

"Or Two," Fred added softly.

"Well you two had better hope it doesn't last any longer than that." Molly said as she grabbed each Twin by an ear and marched them over in front of Hermione, "Apologize! Apologize this instant."

Harry and Ginny almost burst out laughing at the looks on the Twins faces. "We're sorry, Hermione," they said in unison.

Releasing the boys Molly shook her head looking mortified that her sons had pranked Hermione here in her home. "Boy's, I'm warning you, no more pranks, got it?"

Though they went through the motions, it was pretty evident that sincerity was severely lacking in their voices.

Looking sternly at the two of them, she said, "You two are to muck out the pond today. Got it? And no magic!"

"Yes Mum," they said contritely as they handed over their wands.

Molly collapsed into her chair in resignation, she then turned to Hermione and said very sympathetically, "Would you like some breakfast dear?"

Harry looked at Ginny, _"I thought we weren't allowed to do magic outside of school?"_

Ginny smiled impishly, _"Well, really we're not, but Bill found out when he was a kid that because we live in a magical household if you only do it occasionally, like almost never but not quite, nothing happens."_

"_Really!"_

"_Yeah, I've even done some a couple of times, though I usually use my Mum's wand when I can," _Ginny sent with a giggle.

Harry was gobsmacked, "_Ginny!" _he sent, half in awe, half not believing her audacity.

Ginny just shrugged, "_It's not like we're breaching the Statute of Secrecy, and as long as no one gets hurt, what's the harm."_

Harry stared at her in disbelief.

"_Listen Harry, I'm the youngest of seven, I have six brothers, a little magic can even the odds considerably," _she said, grinning.

Harry smiled, "_I guess this is where the Infamous Bat-Bogey Hex comes into play?"_

"_You got that right." _Ginny sent with a smile.

"_How did you ever learn that one?" _Harry asked.

Ginny got that impish grin again, that Harry was becoming to love, "_Bill taught me before he left for Egypt. He told me since he wasn't going to be here to defend me any more I needed to learn to defend myself."_

"_I'd say he did a pretty good job if it," _Harry said respectfully. Then with a smile he added, _"And now you have me on your side too."_

Ginny looked at Harry, appraisingly, "_I was a little worried that Mum giving work as a punishment might trigger some bad memories. Are you okay?"_

Harry smiled, "_Yeah Ginny, I am. I can see the difference."_

"_What difference?" _Ginny asked.

"_Here we are made to work as a punishment for a misdeed, not allowed to do something fun, having to work instead,"_ Harry said thoughtfully.

"_Yeah, so?" _Ginny asked, still not seeing the difference.

"_At my relatives I was forced to work all the time, there was never any fun. It was like I was being punished all the time and not for anything I did, it was more just because I was there," _Harry explained. "_Plus there I did everything. Here we all have chores to do, sure, but the ones that are given as punishment aren't really any different, well maybe except that they are the really yucky ones."_

Ginny couldn't help but giggle at that.

"_Here everyone pitches in. Everyone does their share, no free rides," _Harry said to her. "_It's a big difference here Ginny. Here I'm contributing to the family, there I was worse than a house elf. It's a big difference, believe me, I'd rather work here with people I love and who love me. _

"_Wow, Harry, that sounds rather wise for a twelve year old,"_ Ginny sent giggling.

"_Yeah, just wait till I'm thirteen!"_

While they were talking, Hermione had left to go get changed, and Ginny noticed the Twins looking a bit apprehensive.

Suddenly a scream pierced the silence.

Fred looked at George and said, "Guess she put on her knickers."

**XX HP + GW XX**

**A/N: Ah the Twins, gotta love em. **

**Can anyone guess how the essay will come into play? Hummmmmm? Any bets on who wins?**

**Well, let me know and please review. **


	20. Secret Information

**Harry and Ginny: A Love Story**

**Chapter 20: Secret Information**

It was early afternoon when the Floo flared and Poppy asked if she could come over. She had caught Molly a bit by surprise but she readily agreed. As she came through the Floo, Poppy explained that she thought a follow up on Harry was warranted as he had a history of great reluctance to report nagging injuries.

Molly had nodded knowingly, Harry's position on anything to do with the Hospital Wing and medical treatment was well known. "He and Ginny are upstairs, in Ginny's room I believe. Should I run up and have him come down?"

"Don't put yourself out, Molly. I know the way and knowing Harry, I'm sure he'd rather do this in private," Poppy said with a smile.

Molly wouldn't be denied in performing what she saw as her motherly duties and insisted on preceding Poppy upstairs. She knocked once on the door and hardly waiting for an answer, entered Ginny's room.

"Come in," Ginny was saying as her mother came through the door. Shaking her head and rolling her eyes she sent to Harry, "_I don't know why she bothers to knock."_

Harry couldn't help but chuckle at her comment. "_I guess it's what mothers do, though I really don't have anyone to compare her to."_

"Harry, dear, Poppy stopped by to give you a once over to make sure everything is all right," Molly said with a smile.

She didn't notice but Poppy did, as a dark look passed over Harry's face as he glanced at Ginny. She also saw Ginny's horrified reaction and her pleading look at Harry, and she was sure what was transpiring.

"_I thought you said you didn't send for Poppy for me?"_ Harry sent accusingly.

"_Harry, honestly, I didn't. Please believe me," _Ginny sent, her heart in her throat, knowing Harry's problems with trust issues.

Harry just got a hardened look on his face, his jaw clenched as he fought his clearly visible anger.

Poppy smiled as she passed Molly in the doorway, "I've got it from here, Molly," she said, waiting by the door in a clear sign of dismissal.

Ginny almost laughed at the look that passed over her mothers face, and probably would have if she wasn't so worried about Harry's reaction.

Poppy gently ushered Molly out and closed the door, Harry and Ginny were surprised when she drew her wand and cast several spells on it. She then turned and said sympathetically to Ginny, "I'm sorry if I have caused any distress between you and Harry, but it was the most logical excuse I could think of to visit without raising a ruckus."

She looked at Harry, "Harry, I hope you believe me when I say, Ginny did not ask me here to check on you." She was gratified to see Harry take on a very apologetic look as he looked at Ginny.

"I'm sorry for doubting you, Ginny. I should know by now that you'd never do something like that," he said contritely.

Poppy then looked at him with a grin and added, "Though, from your reaction, I bet that you are still suffering from some pain, so while I'm here, I will give you a check up."

She and Ginny shared a chuckle as Harry groaned and flopped back on the bed. "_Serves you right," _Ginny sent with a giggle, not letting Harry's unfounded accusations bother her.

"_All right, all right! I give,"_ Harry sent. "_Lesson learned, always trust your Bond-Mate, or Fate will come up and bite you in the arse."_

Ginny couldn't help but laugh and Poppy was curious as to what had been exchanged between them. "So what did Harry have to say for himself?" she asked, smiling at the pair.

"Well, let's just say, Fate was involved and something about getting bit on the arse," Ginny said, giggling madly as she looked at Harry.

Harry blushed deeply, "Fine, you two. Let's just have an embarrass Harry day and get it over with," he groaned.

Poppy couldn't help but smile at the two young people before her, because even though they still looked like children, they certainly didn't act like typical children. She was also acutely aware of their special circumstances. "Okay, Harry's arse aside, lets get started."

Ginny had tried very hard to reign in her giggling but as soon as Aunt Poppy had said "Harry's arse", she lost it completely and was reduced to a laughing hysterical mass on her bed. Though Poppy's lips twitched and quivered, she had years of experience to draw on to keep under control.

Harry took it all stoically as he sat up on the edge of the bed. "_I'll get you for this Ginny. I don't know how, I don't know when, but I will get you."_

This did have the effect of halting Ginny's uncontrolled laughter as she sat back up, but she obviously wasn't quailed by Harry's announcement. "Oooo, I'm so scared, Harry."

She faltered though when she saw sadness flicker across his face, "_What is it, Harry?" _she asked anxiously.

Harry gave her a wan smile, "_Just memories, Ginny. When you said you were soooo scared, I thought about holding you down and tickling you again, but we know how well that went, don't we."_

Ginny leaned forward and took him into a hug, "_It's okay, Harry. We'll work through this as we will everything we have to face, together."_

Poppy was watching Harry and Ginny closely and she was pretty sure what they were going through. She waited for a couple moments before she gently interrupted them. "Why don't we get started. Now Harry, be truthful, have you been having any pain?"

She saw his eyes flit to Ginny before looking back at her. "Yes, Aunt Poppy, I have. Though it's not that bad, really."

"Harry, it's bad enough to make you groan out loud sometimes, and knowing you it must be pretty bad then," Ginny said, showing her annoyance.

Harry shrugged, though he did have a frown on his face. To him pain was something to be endured and if you let it show it only led to more.

Ginny felt his sadness, and she wished again that she could remove the hurt from inside of him.

Poppy also knew of his history and what his reaction meant. "Harry, while it may be true to never show your pain or weakness to you enemy, you need to tell those who love you and can help, you must let them. It will make you stronger in the long run."

Harry considered her words carefully, "I understand, Aunt Poppy and I'm sorry to be such a bother."

Ginny rolled her eyes and had to bite her lip to keep from screaming at her Bond-Mate. She was so tired of hearing him say he was sorry to be a bother, it was driving her round the bend.

Luckily for Ginny, she didn't need to speak up, "Harry, let me assure you, I will let you know in no uncertain terms if you are ever a bother. Have I made myself clear," she said, a touch of Madam "Dragon Lady" Pomfrey in her voice.

Harry couldn't help but smile at her, "Yes, Aunt Poppy," he said softly, with a grin.

Poppy saw Ginny breath a sigh of relief and flash her a grin. She gave Ginny a nod, letting the young witch know that she was on the same parchment when it came to one Harry James Potter.

"Now then Harry, where does it hurt?" she asked.

Harry found he just couldn't help himself, "Who said anything hurts?"

Ginny and Poppy looked at him incredulously, both their tempers starting to flare, then Harry began to giggle and Ginny turned on him, swatting him in the back of the head. "Harry James, I can't believe you did that, you prat!"

Harry was trying desperately to protect his head, but Ginny was in a fine temper, not that she was hitting him particularly hard, but she did have a good eye for accuracy.

After about a dozen well placed smacks, Poppy grabbed Ginny's hand. "That's enough now, Ginny," she said with a smile. "I mean we did kind of set ourselves up for him."

Ginny thought about it and realized it was a perfect prank opportunity. "When did you become so devious?" she asked, looking at him with a new respect. "Here I thought we were going to have a hard time training you and you are already pretty good."

Poppy had him remove his shirt and asked him to show her where it hurt. When he had his shirt off Ginny smiled at him, "_Nice body there Potter," _she teased, "_It will look even better after Mum gets some meat on your bones."_

Harry couldn't help but blush, which of course Poppy noticed. Not one to pass up paybacks, she looked at Ginny and winked. "So Ginny, what did you say to make Harry blush so?"

"_Ginny! Please don't," _Harry pleaded.

Ginny couldn't help but smile at him before looking at Poppy, "I said "Nice body, but he needs some meat on his bones," Ginny said with a smirk.

Harry buried his face in his hands, "_Godric Ginny, why do you take such delight in doing this to me?" _he moaned.

Ginny's smile softened to one that was filled with her love, "Because I love you Harry and even though I know you're embarrassed, I can feel the joy radiating off of you."

Harry couldn't deny it, as mortified as he was, Ginny's teasing touched him in a way that no one else had ever managed. It wasn't done maliciously, it was done in a spirit of fun, playfulness and above all love and respect for one another.

Harry reached for Ginny and hugged her tight, "Thanks Ginny," he whispered to her. He then turned back to Aunt Poppy, lifting his left arm he pointed with his right hand to a spot about five inches down from his pit, "It hurts right in there."

"Thank you Harry, please tell me if what I do hurts and how much, okay?" Poppy said with a smile.

Harry nodded his head and Poppy gently reached out and put her hand tenderly on his side. Harry jumped and both Poppy and Ginny looked concerned.

Harry sheepishly said, "Sorry, cold hands."

Poppy gently prodded his side in the area where he had indicated. Ginny was watching his face closely and when she saw him flinch slightly she sent, "_Harry! Let her know that hurt."_

He looked at her in surprise, he hadn't been aware that he had reacted and he thought for a moment Ginny was experiencing things through the Bond that he wasn't. "_How did you know that?" _he asked in wonder.

"_Harry, I hate to tell you, that you''re not as stoic as you think. I saw your face twitch, in a small grimace. I could tell it hurt. So tell her already!"_

"Aunt Poppy, that hurt a little, right back a little where you just were."

Poppy moved her hand back a little and pressed again.

"Yeah, that's the place, right there," Harry said, as he grimaced again. He could tell that Poppy could feel something, it was like a small bump inside.

She drew her wand and cast a spell and smiled. "Nothing serious, Harry. Just a small muscle tear. It would eventually heal on it's own, but I can fix you up quick." She once again, brandished her wand, murmuring a spell that neither Ginny nor Harry could make out. Nearly instantaneously Harry felt the pain ease and disappear.

He breathed a sigh of relief. Now that it was gone he realized just how much it had actually hurt, but he had been suppressing the pain. He knew Ginny could tell immediately how much Poppy had helped him, feeling his sense of relief.

"_Now that wasn't so bad, now was it?"_ Ginny sent with a smile.

"_No it wasn't Ginny, I have to admit that you've proven your point," _Harry sent in resignation.

Ginny just couldn't let it go at that, "_And that means. . . .?"_

Harry looked at her and saw the delight dancing in her eyes, he knew exactly what she wanted him to say and though he was loath to say so, he knew he had to admit it to her.

Harry sighed heavily, and met her eyes, "_Okay, Okay, I admit it, you were right. Is that what you wanted me to say?" _he said, slightly exasperated.

Ginny chuckled, "_Now that you say it, Yes."_ she answered smugly.

Harry could tell, that though Ginny was happy to get him to admit she was right, he also felt it was just based on wanting what was best for him and she wasn't gloating at all.

"Anything else?" Poppy asked.

"No, Aunt Poppy, it's really just been that one spot that has been bothering me," Harry replied.

"Okay, Harry. You can put your shirt back on," Poppy said, looking at Ginny. "So I understand you'd like to have a little talk," she said softly.

Ginny blushed a little, "Yeah, and it's things that I don't feel that comfortable talking to my Mum about right now, because of . . . well, you know."

Poppy smiled and looked back at Harry, "Why don't you take a walk Harry?" she asked pleasantly.

Harry got a concerned look on his face.

"What is it Harry?" Poppy asked.

"Well, if you don't want your Mum to know, don't you think it will be kind of strange when she sees me come down and you two stay up here?" Harry said thoughtfully.

"You're quite right, Harry. Very astute of you. Do either of you have a suggestion?" she asked.

Ginny looked a little annoyed, but after a moment said, "I guess it will be okay for Harry to stay, most of what I want to talk about isn't that embarrassing and when I get to that stuff. Maybe he could sit across the room or something and I can whisper to you Aunt Poppy."

"Okay with you, Harry?" Poppy asked.

Harry just nodded. He had to admit that he was a bit curious, but he also had an idea that maybe he really didn't want to know.

"So what's on your mind Ginny?" Poppy asked with a smile.

Ginny took a deep breath, and after a glance at Harry she said, "Well, first off, I'm starting to change, body-wise. Now I know that's natural around my age but to me it's happening at a much faster rate than the talk I had with my Mum said it would."

"I see," Poppy said, contemplatively. "What do you mean by fast?"

Ginny looked rather thoughtfully at Poppy, "Well, when I left school this year, I was flat as a board," she said, indicating her chest. Now. . . . " Ginny pulled the material of her loose fitting tee shirt tight to her body, and though by no means huge, Ginny had two rather nicely proportioned breasts, both definitely more that a handful for Harry's sized hands.

Poppy was genuinely surprised, she had often had young women who were starting to develop come to her with questions and their anxieties and she had almost with out exception allayed their fears.

Ginny, on the other hand, truly was developing at a very accelerated rate. "Plus," Ginny said, letting go of her shirt and lifting the edge slightly. Both my hips and bum seem to be growing at the same rate, or near to it."

Ginny had pulled the material of her cotton shorts tight across her posterior and Harry felt his eyes bug out. He remembered clearly the incident where he had her over his lap and well. . . . he didn't want to think about what had happened, but now it looked so much more enticing. Again, it wasn't huge by any stretch of the imagination, but it had taken on a fullness that could only be described as womanly.

Poppy had a hard time suppressing the look of surprise on her face. Nothing had prepared her for the amount of development that Ginny had undergone in the few short weeks since the end of term.

"Ginny could you tighten the material on your shirt again, while holding it up so I can see all of you at once?" Poppy asked, cocking her head several ways.

Ginny tried but because she had taken some of Harry's things to wear, there was just a little bit to much material to handle easily. "Oh, bugger this," she said in exasperation. She let go of everything, pulled the shirt off and did likewise with the shorts, leaving her standing in front of Poppy and Harry in her knickers.

Harry had thought he was going to be embarrassed when he realized what Ginny was doing, instead he found himself looking at her awestruck at how beautiful he thought she was.

Poppy had her turn to the side and then all the way around slowly. Ginny began to fidget a little, not from embarrassment, but because no one was saying anything. Though she did smile a little, the feelings coming from Harry were quite unexpected. She had figured he would be embarrassed but all she got was a wonderful sense of approval and happiness. She smiled shyly at him, wondering why she didn't feel any embarrassment either.

When she looked back at Poppy, she was surprised to see a look of bewilderment on her face. "What's wrong, Aunt Poppy?" she asked hurriedly.

"Nothing, Ginny. . . .Really," Poppy said softly, a touch of awe in her voice. "I can confidently say you are developing into a beautiful young woman. It's amazing, but you're perfectly proportioned, and as you get older I'm sure you'll retain that."

"Do you think I'm done for now?" Ginny asked. "I mean it's one thing for Harry to see me, but my brothers are going to be insufferable."

Ginny jumped in shock, as soon as she mentioned her brother being insufferable, she got the most powerful determined, protective feeling from Harry that she had ever felt. She turned and stared at him and she saw a look in his eyes that said loud and clear, Do Not Insult or Otherwise Make Fun of My Woman. Do so at your own peril.

Poppy's gaze followed Ginny's and she saw the blazing look in Harry's eyes and she was a tad worried by what she saw. She had the distinct impression that if provoked Harry would not be very forgiving to anyone who said anything disparaging to Ginny.

"Ginny, why don't you go ahead and get dressed," she said softly.

Ginny nodded, but she wondered about the way Poppy had looked when she had glanced at Harry. Though not really a worried look, it was more one that spoke of caution.

Poppy was glad to see the look in Harry's eyes diminish when Ginny was once again clothed, but she also notice that it hadn't gone away entirely. This was a development that she knew warranted watching.

"Okay. Ginny. Was there anything else?" Poppy added, as she tried to put things into context.

For the first time Harry felt a bit of embarrassment from Ginny, "Should I leave?" he asked her.

Ginny pondered his question for a moment, "Not if you don't want to Harry. There's something kind of telling me I have nothing to be embarrassed about in front of you."

"Well Aunt Poppy, I was also kind of wondering about the other physiological changes that usually take place, you know, my menses , my cycle?" Ginny said, unabashedly.

Harry was again surprised when he didn't blush like a school girl at hearing what Ginny was talking about. He felt the slight apprehension she was feeling, but he couldn't tell if was because of the subject or what the answer might be.

Harry went over and took Ginny's hand and guided her back so they could sit together on the bed. Ginny smiled at him, and Poppy saw her give Harry's hand a slight squeeze.

They definitely weren't acting like a typical eleven and twelve year olds. The thing was Poppy had no idea. Nothing in her texts had prepared her for this, and she didn't quite know what to do. She sat there thinking furiously, trying desperately to come up with an answer, any kind of answer to help alleviate Ginny's concerns.

"Aunt Poppy?" Ginny asked softly.

Getting herself back under control she looked at Ginny, "To tell you the truth Ginny, I don't know." When she saw Ginny start to get worried, she said "Have you had any indication that they might be starting? Things like cramps, aches that you couldn't account for, especially in your lower abdomen."

Ginny took a calming breath, "No Aunt Poppy, nothing like that. Will I definitely feel something like that?"

"Unfortunately not my dear, some young women don't have any signs that precede the beginning of their cycle. All I can do is to tell you to keep track of how your feeling and try to take note of anything unusual. I'm sorry I can't be of more help," Poppy said a bit glumly.

"Does that mean I'll be able to get pregnant? I mean if it starts. Will they want to separate Harry and me again?" Ginny said, apprehensively.

Poppy breathed a sigh of relief, "Ginny, that's one thing you don't have to worry about."

"Why is that?" Ginny asked with a perplexed look.

"Remember when I said the other day there was something I thought you didn't need to know yet, well I guess it's time for you to know. All cases of Bondings that have happened to wizards and witches who are not of age have experienced the same thing. There is no desire to take things too far. In fact it seems that before the full Bonding that will happen when you come of age, the Bond prevents you from wanting to take things that far."

Harry and Ginny were surprised and it showed clearly on their faces. "But does that mean we won't want to do any of the other stuff, I mean like snogging and everything?" Ginny said worriedly.

Poppy smiled, "Actually, no. It doesn't interfere with anything else, the text was quite clear on that." She then gave a little chuckle, "And don't worry, I didn't bother to tell that little fact to your Mum and Minerva."

Ginny actually laughed as did Harry when he felt relief sweep through Ginny. Harry then got a troubled look on his face. "Aunt Poppy, can I ask a question?"

"Certainly Harry. What's troubling you?" she said kindly, seeing the look on his face.

"Ginny mentioned a talk that she and her Mum had, right?" Harry said, hesitantly.

"Yes, that's right Harry. It's customary for a mother to explain things to her daughters as they come of age, so they'll be prepared for all the changes that will take place," Poppy said.

"Is it customary for a father to give a similar talk to his son?" Harry asked softly.

Ginny could feel Harry's sadness creeping up, and she realized why.

"Yes, Harry it is," Poppy said, Then she figured out why Harry was asking. His father was dead and if she knew anything, the fat oaf of an uncle would never have taken the time to have that discussion with Harry. "Ahhh," she said quietly, more to herself but heard by all.

Harry nodded, feeling a bit lost. Ginny felt horrible for him, and she silently cursed his so called family once again.

Poppy looked at Harry and sympathized with his predicament, "Harry," she said softly. "While I could give you a kind of run down on the basics of how, I am sure that just like when a mother talks to her daughter, not just the mechanics are discussed, and I think that is some of the most important material of all."

"What will I do then?" Harry asked sadly.

Poppy sighed, "Well Harry, the only answer I have is that I'll have a word with Molly and I'm sure that Arthur would fulfil that role, if you're agreeable."

Harry looked at Ginny, _"Would you mind if I had your Dad do that for me?"_

Ginny looked at Harry gobsmacked, "_Why would I mind, Harry?"_

"_Well, he is your father. Don't you think it's a little unusual for the girls father to give the talk to the boyfriend?"_

Ginny sighed, shaking her head, "_For one thing Harry, we're Bond-Mates, not girlfriend / boyfriend, second and more importantly, Dad is also one of your guardians and if I'm not mistaken that role would include something along these lines."_

Harry couldn't help but laugh, drawing a questioning look from Poppy. "What's so funny," she felt compelled to ask.

Harry looked from her to Ginny, and shaking his head, "Here's were I get to tell you that you're right again."

The two women joined him in laughing and Ginny added, "Better get use to that, Harry," causing Poppy to laugh even harder at the look on his face.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Ron got up rather excited, even though he had said to Hermione and his Mum he wasn't that interested in the prize money he was still very interested. He had dreamed last night of what he could get for 100 Galleons.

What was even more exciting about it was the contest ended in a few days and the winner would be announced in a few days time. He had to admit, patience was not one of his strong suits.

He hurriedly got through his morning routine before he went down to eat. He didn't really want to come all the way back to his room, it was already getting warm and the day was still young.

He charged down the stairs almost knocking the Twins down as they came stumbling out of their room.

"Merlin's beard, Ron! What's your hurry this morning?" Fred said, annoyed at his younger brother.

"He probably wants to get a look at Hermione's knickers, it is wash day after all," George added with a smirk.

Ron eyed the Twins darkly, the pranks that they played on Hermione were still taking place, several had been delayed pranks. Certain articles of clothing had to worn a certain number of times before the prank was triggered.

Though he had found her hair standing on end rather funny, the results were starting to wear thin on him. Well, the turning her bright red for an afternoon was pretty funny too, though their Mum certainly hadn't seen it that way.

"Bugger off," he said as he tried to get past the Twins, who seemed to be taking great delight in blocking him from getting down the stairs this morning.

"Well now, there's a snappy retort," Fred said to George with a grin.

"Yeah, Ron Weasley, Public orator, eloquent speeches and eulogies only a galleon per hour," Fred said in a good imitation of the ad announcer on the Wizarding Wireless Network.

They still wouldn't let Ron pass, as they slowly made their way downstairs, taking great delight in descending as slowly as possible. They could hear Ron fuming behind them and they shared a grin. They loved a day that started out with a bang , always hoping that it would get better.

As they approached Hermione's room, the door opened and Hermione came out. She took one glance at the Twins and frowned. So far a total of seven pranks had been triggered just from the few minutes they had spent with her trunk the day she arrived.

She was past getting angry, even Molly's tirades hadn't had an effect and they seemed to take great delight in the onerous tasks that they were assigned as punishment. Hermione wasn't sure if the delight was genuine or a cleaver attempt to convince Molly that they didn't mind doing them if the prank that was the cause was sufficiently spectacular.

Hermione had tried to adopt a stoic attitude, hoping that if she didn't react they would tire of pranking her and let her be. So far it seemed to be a vain hope, but she figured she give it a little more time.

"Good morning, Hermione," George said genially.

"Did you sleep well?" Fred added, a bright smile on his face.

""Fine, thank you and a good morning to you both," she said calmly.

"Leave her alone," Ron grumbled.

Fred and George turned and looked at him, "Why to ignore her would be quite rude," George said, frowning at his younger brother.

"And it's one thing Mum has always taught us is never to be rude to house guests," Fred added.

Ron just glared at them, "Could we get a move on?" he finally barked.

"Speaking of rude," Fred said to George.

"Yes. Mayhaps we need to speak to Mum about his attitude," George replied.

Hermione couldn't help herself and snickered, the officious manner in which they were speaking sound just like Percy.

"Hermione! Don't encourage them," Ron whined.

"Please Ron, that was actually funny," she said with a smile at the Twins.

"Thank you Hermione," George said.

"Just for that, you may wish to have Mum launder your blue blouse before you wear it," Fred added.

Hermione eyed them appraisingly, "Why, what did you do to it?" she asked lowly.

"Ah, dear Hermione, if you want to know," Fred said with a smile.

"You'll have to put it on," George added, his smile just as mischievous as Freds.

"Hum, I'll have to think about that?" she said with a smirk.

Ron was listening to the exchange in utter disbelief.

Fred looked at George, "You know Bro, I'm liking this one more and more."

George nodded, "I agree, esteemed Brother, she has potential."

Hermione smiled coyly at the Twins, "See you around boys," she said as she descended before them.

"Yes, I'm liking her more too," added George.

Ron took the opportunity afforded by Fred and George watching Hermione descend the stairs to muscle through and get past the Twins. Unfortunately he didn't see the look they got on their faces when he did so. If he knew what they were thinking he probably would have seriously reconsidered his action.

**XX HP + GW XX**

By the time Ron made it to the kitchen Molly had already sent the essays off to the Daily Prophet. He was a little disappointed in not getting to send it himself, though in hindsight he figured he was glad it was gone so the Twins didn't take the mickey out on him for writing an essay during the summer.

Breakfast was a kind of subdued affair, the Twins doing their best to act distant from their mother and the thing was, Hermione had worked out, they did it just to get a reaction out of her. She was sure if Molly had ignored them, the act would have disappeared in a hurry.

Fred was eating his bacon when he looked around with a puzzled expression, "Hey Mum, where's Percy?"

"Yeah, I don't recall seeing him for a couple of days now," George added, looking just as perplexed as Fred.

Molly sighed, "Left for the Ministry already this morning."

"Mum? Aren't the summer internships like half days or something, starting at noon?" George asked slowly.

"What did he do, leave five hours early?" Fred said with a chuckle.

"Don't be ridiculous Fred," Molly said with a frown, "It was only three."

Fred and George had to stifle their laughs, even Hermione had a huge smile on her face. Molly seemed oblivious to it all, lost in thought. She was thinking about the conversation that she had with Poppy the previous afternoon.

She needed to talk to Arthur about him having the "Talk" with Harry. She didn't get a chance the previous night, Arthur had to participate in some late night raids and didn't get home till after she had gone to bed. In her younger days she would have waited up no matter what time he got home, but with the arrival of the children, they decided that someone needed to be up at the regular time or the house probably wouldn't have been standing by the time they arose.

Not that she was worried about his ability to do so, he had given it to all his sons, it was just that to her it was another one of those things that Harry had missed out on by being an orphan. Though Arthur was a perfectly adequate replacement, it hurt her that it was something he should have shared with his father.

She heard Arthur coming down the stairs softly singing a favourite song, Hippogriffs on Parade. She had to laugh at him, he was such a wonderful man, some would say he was rather plain and lived a simple life, but there was a lot more to Arthur Weasley than first appeared.

"Good Morning, my dear," he said brightly, as he gave Molly a kiss on the cheek as he sat down.

"Dad, aren't you running a little late this morning?" Ron asked as he wiped his plate with a piece of bread.

"Late night last night, boys. Had to take part in some raids up north. Nothing major, but it needed doing just the same," he said as he sipped his tea.

Molly was happy when Ron finished his breakfast and he and Hermione went outside. Then fate smiled on her as the Twins rose to go get dressed, the were heading off to paint the chicken coop today as another punishment for the pranks that they had been playing on Hermione.

She had gotten quite upset at them till one evening Hermione came up to her and told her not to get so upset. She figured as long as they were targeting her they would leave Harry and Ginny alone.

Molly's opinion of the bushy-haired young witch went way up after that. Though she still wasn't going to let them go Scott free. She had rules and the boys knew that if they broke them there would be consequences. She did appreciate the fact that she didn't need to yell at them quite as much.

Alone at last with her husband, she said "Arthur, I have something you need to do,"

Arthur looked up from the Prophet he was reading, "What's that my dear?" he asked pleasantly.

"Well Poppy stopped by yesterday afternoon to give Harry a once over and while treating him, she said Harry asked her about, well, you know. . . ."

Arthur gave a chuckle, as much as he loved Molly, and how down to earth and unflappable she was, she still had a hard time discussing sex outside the bedroom. "I see, dear. What you're saying is he hasn't had the talk yet, right?"

He stifled his smirk when he saw the relief wash over Molly, "Yes Dear, that's right."

Arthur smiled at her and glanced up the stairs, "Well I can't do it right now, I need to get to the Ministry."

He loved it when Molly rolled her eyes at him and shook her head. She got the cutest look on her face and the dimples showed in her cheeks. After all this time and seven children, Arthur still thought his wife was one of the sexiest women he had ever met. The sexiest, he corrected himself, shuddering a little at the thought of what would happen if he ever voiced that thought out loud.

"Really Arthur, can't you take anything seriously?" Molly chided, but she was smiling as she did so.

Arthur sighed theatrically, "Well I guess I'll have to do it sometime this weekend, will that suffice?"

"Yes dear," Molly said, shaking her head again.

Arthur winked at her and finished his his toast," Well I'd better be off, a lot to do today."

Molly watched as he put on his cloak, humming Hippogriff's on Parade again and with a jaunty tip of his hat he left for work. Molly sat there smiling, though most of their sons had inherited the Prewett inclination for pranking, there was a mischievous side to the Weasley's that fit perfectly with the Prewett's and the Twins were probably the ultimate results of the pairing.

With one last pleasant thought about Arthur and their children, Molly finished her tea and got up to clean the kitchen, all too soon it would be time for lunch and she'd have a hungry hoard descending on her and she wanted to be ready.

**XX HP + GW XX**

**A/N: I choose to portray Arthur as a much stronger character than most seem to do. I figured he just sat back and let Molly run the house as long as things went well, he didn't need to get involved, but don't rile him. **

**Plus this bumbling, stuttering when giving the talk to the boys, I can't see either, he had seven children for Godric's sake, the man must have known something about the process.**

**Poppy did a lot to alleviate Ginny's fears and by extension, Harry's.**

**Well as always I love hearing from you, so please leave a review.**


	21. Revelations

**Harry and Ginny: A Love Story**

**Chapter 21: Revelations**

Ron woke up and immediately bound out of bed. He was eager to get down stairs and check the Sunday Prophet, today was the day when the Essay Contest winner was to be named in the paper.

He had dreamt last night of reading the headline "Sunday 14th July 1996, Ronald Weasley Winner of Essay contest and 100 Galleons". Not very creative, he knew but it was the information that was important to him, not the wording.

Dressing quickly so he didn't need to come back up to his room later, he flew down the stairs. "Mum, Mum! Is the Prophet here yet?" he asked eagerly.

"Not yet, Ronald," she said with a sigh. She had seen his anxiety building as the week progressed and she was worried about his reaction if he didn't win. To her the odds seemed stacked against him and though Hermione had been very supportive of his effort, she knew the reality of the situation.

Ron was extremely anxious and for once wasn't eating like there was no tomorrow and just picking at the food on his plate. He and Molly were joined by Hermione after a short while and she smiled encouragingly at him.

He tried to smile back but found his stomach was tied in knots, making the smile more of a grimace than anything else. Hermione shared a covert smile with Molly as she served the bushy-haired witch her breakfast.

"So Hermione," Molly asked, hoping to prepare Ron for possible disappointment, "How many entrants do they usually get for these contests?"

"Well nothing like the numbers the Muggle newspapers get, especially over the summer. I think last years contest had about one hundred entries," Hermione said brightly.

Molly noticed Ron pale a little at hearing that there was probably one hundred entries. "I guess the winning entries are usually very well written."

"Yes, Mrs. Weasley, but this contest is limited by age group as well, they run a different one for the older kids later in the summer," Hermione replied as she took another bite of her eggs.

Ron's eyes kept flitting to the window, an expectant look on his features. They noticed when his eyes widened and he bolted up out of his chair, "Here comes an owl, Mum. I bet that's it," he said with a tight voice.

"Relax, Ronald. They've already made their decision, now you just need to find out what it was," she said sympathetically.

Ron paced back and forth several times, staring at the owl every time he passed the window, as if he could will the owl to fly faster.

Hermione found it a bit strange that when the owl landed on the windowsill, Ron seemed reluctant to approach it. It fell to Molly to retrieve the paper from the delivery owl. She gave it a friendly ruffle of it's neck feathers before it turned and flew away.

She took the paper and offered it to Ron, who shook his head, "Give it to Hermione," he said softly.

Cocking an eyebrow, Molly looked at his askance before turning back to Hermione and handing her the paper.

Taking a deep breath, Hermione slowly unrolled the paper to the front page.

Neither Ron nor Molly was prepared for Hermione's reaction. She got a stunned look on her face and just sat there staring at the paper for several moments.

"Hermione!" Ron cried out, "You're killing me here," he said anxiously.

"I can't believe it," she whispered softly, still staring at the paper in disbelief.

"What?" Ron said, quite annoyed at her, grabbing the paper from her hands.

Molly watched him read the front page and just as Hermione had he stared with a bewildered look on his face. "You're bloody kidding me," he said lowly.

Molly was very perplexed now, and she took the paper from Ron's passive hands. She couldn't help herself and she began to chuckle, in a big block centred on the front page that read, "Luna Lovegood, Grand Prize winner of Essay Contest with her paper entitled "The Crumpled-Horned Snorkack, Myth or Reality." Unnoticed by all was the small print at the bottom that read, "Additional information on page three".

Hermione looked worriedly at Ron, but after a moment he began to chuckle, "Can you believe that Hermione?" he said with a small grin on his face.

Hermione couldn't contain herself, shaking her head she said, "No, I can't believe the judges picked that paper."

Ron looked wistful and went into the Parlour. Hermione followed him to offer him some support. "I'm sorry Ron, I thought your paper was excellent. I can't believe that, that, paper over yours," she said softly.

"Ron made his way over to the couch in front of the fireplace, and looking down reached and picked up a scrawny rat that was curled up sleeping. "There you are Scabbers, I wondered where you had gotten to," he said as he sat down rather heavily.

Out in the Kitchen, Molly took the paper and placed it at Arthur's place, before turning to start the breakfasts of those who were not down yet. Unseen by her a piece of parchment slipped out from the centre of the paper and floated to the floor underneath the table.

Arthur, the Twins and Harry and Ginny were just sitting down to eat when there came a knock at the door.

"I wonder who that could be?" Arthur said, questioningly as he looked at Molly.

Harry glanced at the elder Weasley's, "Should I go upstairs?"

"It might be advisable, Harry," Arthur said.

As Harry got up, Ginny joined him, "You don't need to come with me, stay and eat your breakfast," he said to her.

Ginny just gave him a disdainful look, clearly saying non-verbally, "Yeah, Right. Like that's going to happen."

They quickly made there way over to the stairs but Ginny halted Harry when they had gone up five steps. He had to smile at her as she grinned at him impishly, "_We can stay here and hear what's said in the kitchen without being seen,_" she sent.

Harry had had to cover his mouth with his hand as he almost burst out laughing.

Arthur opened the door, to find a smallish, pudgy man with a bright blue Bowler and a badge pinned to his robes that read "PRESS".

"You must be the young lad's father," he said jovially. "Glad to meet you, you must be so proud, wonderful boy, really."

"I have six sons," Arthur said guardedly.

"Six!" why you must have an amazing wife, simply amazing. Well I'm here to see Ronald," he said affably, the smile never leaving his rotund face.

"May I ask what this pertains to?" Arthur asked, questioningly.

"Didn't you get this mornings paper, there should have been a notice inside," the man said. "Most unusual, highly irregular," he muttered. "Well I'm Bartholomew Persimmons, Photographer for the Prophet. I'm here because of Ronald's essay entry."

Molly looked at him, frowning. "I thought Luna Lovegood was the winner?"

"Well, yes. She is the Grand Prize winner. Just been to see her, most delightful young lady, a bit peculiar, but delightful just the same," the photographer said.

By now Ron and Hermione were standing in the doorway to the parlour, listening intently, Ron still holding onto the sleeping Scabbers.

From her vantage point, Hermione spied the piece of parchment under the table. "Excuse me, Mrs. Weasley, there appears to be something under the table on the floor."

Molly pulled her wand, "_Accio parchment"_ she cast. The paper flew out from under the table and into her hand. She read it quickly, and handed it to Arthur.

"Well, there you have it," Persimmons said with a smile, a minor mystery solved, eh? Now could we please get going, I have several more stops to make before I'm done."

"Mum, what's going on?" Ron asked.

"Well, I'm here to take your picture for tomorrows paper, you being one of the winners and all," the little round man said, hoping to speed things along.

"Winner? I thought Luna was the Winner?" he said in confusion.

"Yes, yes, she was the Grand Prize winner, but your essay took first place in the sports category. I know it isn't as good as winner the whole thing, but I'd have thought 25 Galleons would be welcome by a young lad such as yourself."

Ron's eyes bugged out, "25 Galleons!" he exclaimed.

"Yes, yes," Persimmons said bit exasperatedly. "Now I really just need to get your picture and I can be on my way," he said hopefully.

Hermione was beaming at Ron, her face almost split in half by her smile. "Ron, this is wonderful," she said happily.

"Yes, Yes, Please, I have a schedule to keep," pleaded the little man.

Molly was of course all in a dither, running around the table and trying to straighten Ron's shirt and hair.

"Geroff, Mum," he said annoyingly.

"Where would you like to take the picture?" Arthur said, sympathetically to the photographer.

The man smiled at Arthur gratefully, "How about right out here on the porch?" the man suggested, moving out the door that way.

Hermione gave Ron a little shove, and he made his way out side. Everyone there, with the exception of Harry and Ginny, followed them outside. The photographer placed Ron against the side of the house and backed away.

"Ron! Your Rat!" Molly yelled out, frowning at him.

The photographer rolled his eyes as Ron said, "Is it okay if Scabbers is in the picture?"

"Yes, yes, anything to get it taken," the poor overwhelmed man said.

Ron placed Scabbers on his shoulder and looked at the camera, smiling widely. The photographer snapped the picture and sighed in relief, "Next year they had better send Middleton, because I'm never going to do this again," he muttered under his breath.

As the flash went off, the usually comatose Scabbers suddenly jumped up off of Ron's shoulder, made a high pitched squeaking noise and scampered into the house, puncturing the skin on Ron's shoulder as he did so.

"Oww, Scabbers, what the bloody . . . ."

"Ronald Weasley, watch your language," Molly said hotly.

The little photographer ran forward and placed a small pouch into Ron's hand, "Your winnings, and I must really be going," he said as he quickly made his departure.

"Well done, son," Arthur said with a smile.

Molly came over and began to fuss over him again, "Oh Ronald, this is so wonderful," she simpered.

Ron was smiling a mile wide until he saw the looks on the Twins faces and he knew he was going to be in for it.

"Would you like anything Ronald," Molly asked.

"Well, I'd really like some more breakfast," he said as his stomach growled.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Alastor Moody clumped his way back up the drive to Hogwarts, complaining again at having to walk. "No wonder I never want to come here," He growled to himself lowly. "Albus should have figured that out by now. He is supposed to be the smartest Wizard alive."

Somehow he wasn't surprised to see Albus standing in the entrance to the castle, an expectant look on his face. Mad-Eye smiled as he looked at the Ancient Wizard, "This is going to be good," he said to himself.

"Alastor, how good to see you, I hope you have good news for me," Albus said hopefully.

"Not here Albus!" he growled, shaking his head.

"Of course," Albus said, though he wished the old ex-auror would just tell him, he knew that he wouldn't thought, his obsession with secrecy not allowing anything approaching unguarded talking to take place.

Albus waited, not so patiently as they made their way to his office, Moody whistling a happy little tune the whole time.

As they took their seats, Albus said, "You seem quite pleased, Alastor."

"And why wouldn't I be, I found your wayward student," he said smugly.

Albus' eyes lit up, almost fiendishly, a look that Moody did not think boded well as far as Harry was concerned.

"Well where is he?" Albus said impatiently.

"Calm yourself Dumbledore," Moody chided him, "What's gotten into you?" he asked with a frown on his face.

"Sorry," Albus said contritely, "I've just been so worried about Harry's well being."

"Yeah, right," Mad-Eye said to himself.

"Well you can relax, Albus. He's safe and sound, and from the looks of it happy where he's at," Alastor said lowly, watching Albus closely to gage his reaction.

"Are you sure?" the headmaster asked fervently, his eyes shining brightly again.

"Quite sure Albus."

"Well where is he Alastor?" Dumbledore pressed.

"He's at the Burrow," Moody said evenly.

Albus' eyes widened slightly in surprise and then took on a slight look of betrayal. "The Burrow you say?" he said softly, though there was an edge of anger hidden in the tone.

"Aye, and once I found him there I did a little digging at the Ministry," he said stoically.

"What did you find out," Albus said a bit testily.

"That it's all nice and legal, Albus," Moody said, satisfactorily.

"Well, yes, I wouldn't think Arthur and Molly would be involved in anything nefarious," Albus said, trying to sound like he was happy that Harry was where he was.

"Well, I'll be off then, just deposit my fee in my account at Gringott's like usual," Mad-Eye said as he rose.

"Where are you off too, old friend?" Albus asked inquisitively.

Alastor just smiled and waved his hand, "I'm off to see a friend," he said as his thoughts turned to the Three Broomsticks and Rosmerta.

Albus had already dismissed the old Ex-Auror by the time he reached the spiral stairs, thinking hard on how he would be able to recover Harry from the Weasleys. It pained him that they were involved and hadn't had the courtesy to notify him of the fact. Yes, the Weasleys would warrant watching from now on, ex-Order Members or not.

Getting Harry back would take careful planning and he'd need some help, not much but some, maybe one or two at most. Alastor was out, he wouldn't take part in something that he questioned.

"Yes," he said to himself, "Nymphadora could be coerced into helping, not directly of course, but she could help provide a distraction and Mundungus. Yes he was just the person to help with something like this, and he could probably keep Harry on ice for a while till things died down a little. If planned right, the Weasleys wouldn't even know that he was involved.

And when? That was the question, "Ah," he said out loud, Harry's birthday is approaching, that will be perfect.

He smiled smugly and began drafting his note to Nymphadora, it needed to be worded carefully, quite carefully.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Minerva was sitting down to lunch when an owl came knocking at the window. She knew it must be personal because most regular owls went to the kitchen where the elves would handle it.

Rising she went and opened the window, the owl deposited its burden, a small scroll, and immediately flew off. It took her a moment till she thought she recognized the owl, she was pretty sure it was Rosmerta's, but she couldn't think of any reason the the Inn owner would be writing her, especially a personal communiqué.

She chuckled once she broke the seal on the scroll and saw Mad-Eye's scrawl. "He knows," was all it said.

Smiling she looked thoughtful, "Steps would need to be taken, because if it was one thing she knew, it was that Albus Dumbledore wasn't going to take this laying down. He was sure to make some type of attempt to get Harry back under his control.

She went into her study and sat down to write a letter, She would go and tell the Weasley's in person, but she wanted Aberforth to know as soon as possible, so that he'd be aware to be on the look out for anything at all concerning his brother. If anyone could read Albus with the minutest of clues it was Ab.

The letter done, she read it over and smiled, if intercepted no one would be able to understand it's true meaning.

_Dear One,_

_The Friar has his Ale and you need to listen to him carefully because he knows about it._

_We'll be getting together as soon as the moon rises bright and clear but I'll be so blue by then._

_Take care, till we are once again searching for that which can not be found,_

_Boots_

Minerva knew that it was unlikely that anyone could figure out the message, the Friar was of course Ab's brother, the ale was a word that was a misnomer, "he knows," told Ab that Albus knew about Harry and the listen was to pay attention to see iof he heard anything.

The moon referenced the full moon and she was blue because it was the second one in July, the day before Harry's birthday, when they were all planning to get together again.

She walked out into the Grand Hallway and called out "Banter!"

Immediately her Senior House elf appeared, "Yes Mistress, what's may I do's for you?"

She handed him the letter to Aberforth, "I need you to deliver this right away."

Banter bowed and in a moment he was gone. She quickly went and gathered a few things she wanted to take with her. Molly kept saying just to drop in and she was going to test that out right now.

Going to the Floo, she took a pinch of powder and casting into the grate, she said "The Burrow" and with a flash of green flames, she was gone.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Ron was sitting in the Parlour alone. Hermione had gone upstairs and the Twins were outside somewhere working on another one of the onerous projects that Molly had them doing as punishment.

Percy was up in his room, probably rereading the Ministry manual for the hundredth time. Harry and Ginny were ensconced in Ginny's room again, doing Godric knows what. He wasn't quite sure where his Mum was but he was sure his Dad was out in the shed playing with his Muggle stuff, his favourite Sunday afternoon activity.

Ron was looking at the illustrations in the family Medi-text. If one knew where to look, there were drawings of nude women, though usually just the torso, but sometimes with a head or limbs.

He was quite enamoured with staring at the drawing when the Floo flared and Professor McGonagall came through.

He was so surprised that he sat bolt upright, eyes bugged out and he screamed out a choked, AHHH!"

It took him a moment before he could collect himself, "I'll go find Mum," he said shakily and hurried from the room. Minerva glanced at the text that Ron had left open on the couch next to him and she had to chuckle at having caught him doing something that he would be mortified to know that she knew what he was doing.

Molly came bustling into the Parlour a moment later, "Minerva, how nice to see you, just popping round or is something else going on?"

"I came to let you know that Albus knows where Harry is," she said calmly.

Molly nodded, "Well the cat's out of the bag, so to speak," she said with a smile. "Won't you stay for a bit?" she asked.

"I don't mind if I do," Minerva answered.

As Molly turned to go back into the kitchen, Minerva said, "Maybe you should have Ron come put his book away," her voice laced with merriment.

Molly glanced at the open book and rolled her eyes, "I'm pretty sure he's not considering a career as a Medi-Wizard. It seems all the boys went through a stage when they were interested in "medicine"."

Minerva couldn't help but laugh with Molly, "I'm sure, "medicine" can be so interesting at their age."

Molly led the way to the kitchen where they found Ron getting a drink, "Ronald, you need to go put away the textbook you left open on the couch," Molly said, her lips quivering as she tried hard not to laugh.

Minerva almost lost it when Ron choked on the drink he was taking, spraying quite a bit across the counter as he turned a bright red. "Yes, Mum," he squeaked out as he hurried from the room.

"Molly, that was cruel," Minerva said with a grin.

"Cruel, no. Evil, maybe," Molly replied, starting the water for tea.

They were just sitting down when they heard thundering steps on the stairs, "Aunt Minerva!" Harry and Ginny cried coming into the room. "We thought we heard you," they said as they came over and hugged her.

"Well this is some reception," Minerva said happily.

"We just missed you, that's all," Ginny said.

Harry looked at her with a smile, "How's your friend Aberforth?"

Minerva was a little surprised by Harry's question, "He's fine, thank you for asking. Why the interest?" she asked with a smile.

Harry shrugged, "No reason really, I was just wondering, that's all. He seemed kind of nice, a lot different from Professor Dumbledore."

"Yes, he is a lot different than the Headmaster," Minerva agreed.

Ginny was getting Harry some juice when Arthur came into the kitchen, he smiled at the assemblage of people there and felt good about how well everyone got a long. He had been busy with his job at the Ministry and working late. Today was the first time he had what he considered enough free time too have the "Talk" with Harry.

Molly caught his eye and she seemed to realize Arthur's intention and she nodded her approval. With Minerva here to help occupy Ginny, it seemed the perfect opportunity.

"Harry, I was hoping you'd come out and help me in the shed for a bit," he said with a smile.

"Okay, Mr. Weasley," Harry replied, getting up from his chair.

Ginny made to get up too, but her Mum, stopped her, "Why don't you stay here and talk with me and Minerva," she said with a smile.

Now Ginny may have been only eleven, but she wasn't a dummy, "_Brace yourself, Harry,"_ she sent with a grin.

She felt Harry's mood change and sensed he was a little apprehensive but also a feeling a little excited about the prospect of learning something that he considered important. He and Ginny had discussed in general terms about what Ginny had gained from her talk with her Mum and he felt that anything that would help him in making life better for him and Ginny was something he wanted to learn about.

"_I'll be waiting for you to get back, and don't worry, Dad isn't going to bite your head off."_

"_Ha, ha,"_ Harry sent back. "_I know that." _He was a little surprised when Arthur grabbed several bottles of Butterbeer as they headed out. "_Well this should be interesting," _he said.

Ginny watched him go and as soon as he and her father were out side she turned to the two adults and said, "What are we doing for Harry's birthday?"

"I though we'd just do what we normally do for any of you kid's birthdays," Molly said.

Ginny shook her head, "No Mum, I think we need to do something special, Harry has never celebrated his birthday before. I want it to be really special and I think we need to be prepared in case Harry becomes overwhelmed," Ginny said seriously, looking from her Mum to Minerva.

Molly and Minerva were shocked by Ginny's revelation, it was just one of those little details that they hadn't thought of, "You're right Ginny," Minerva said, looking at Molly. "We need to make this one special birthday to let Harry know just how much he means to all of us and what a loving family does."

Ginny then looked a little sad, "I need to get him something special too, I just don't know what."

"Well you have some time to think about it, in the mean time, why don't we discuss what we'd like to do for his birthday dinner," Molly said, hoping to ease Ginny's worry.

Ginny smiled, "Okay, first off, we need a cake, a really big chocolate cake," she said with a smile. "And treacle tart for pudding, it's his favourite."

Minerva had to laugh at the intensity with which Ginny spoke, the look of determination she had was simply amazing. "What do you suggest for the decorations?" she asked genially.

Ginny smiled at her, "Quidditch themes, maybe a Snitch cake Mum, could you do that?"

Molly smiled at her daughter, "I think that could be arranged," she replied.

The three of them then began to hammer out the details of Harry's "First Birthday Party."

**XX HP + GW XX**

Arthur and Harry made there way to Arthur's sanctum, his shed full of his muggle items. Harry had been here before helping Arthur identify some of the more obscure, (to Arthur) items.

Today though he pulled out a stool, "Have a seat, Harry." he said with a smile.

As Harry sat, Arthur popped open two of the butterbeers and handed one to Harry. "Here, give this a try and let me know what you think about it."

Harry cautiously sniffed the bottle and found the aroma very pleasing, smiling at Arthur he tipped the bottle to his lips and took a small sip. "He found the taste very enjoyable, it had a wonderful flavour of butterscotch, with hints of vanilla. It was sweet without being overly so and it had a slick, buttery feel and after taste. All in all he found it quite pleasing and he smiled at Arthur as he took a bigger sip.

Arthur smiled at him, "You approve, I take it?"

"Umm humm," Harry indicated while taking another sip.

"Glad you like it," Arthur said with a smile. "It's been kind of a tradition of the Weasleys for the father to give their sons their first butterbeer. I hope you don't mind that I included you in that tradition?"

"Not at all Arthur," Harry said softly.

Arthur smiled, that had been the first time he had referred to him as Arthur since the trouble about the sleeping arrangements had started. Not letting that side-track him, Arthur proceeded.

"The other part of the tradition is that the butterbeer is usually given when the father and the son have the dreaded "Talk"," Arthur said with a grin at Harry.

Harry liked the easy manner with which Arthur was talking to him.

"From my understanding, it can be a very trying time for many fathers and sons and I'll admit the first couple of times when I had this talk with Bill and Charlie, is was a bit nervous. That being said, I also knew that what I was telling them would have a huge impact on their future relationships with members of the opposite sex."

Arthur then looked appraisingly at Harry, "In some respects much of what I told them doesn't apply to you Harry, but then again, much will be doubly important to you, all because of your Bonding with Ginny."

He paused to take a sip of his butterbeer, before continuing. "What do you know about the act of sex, Harry? Don't be bashful, it's just you and me here and what we say will never be discussed outside the walls of this shed."

Harry took a deep breath, and though anxious, he felt comfortable with talking to Arthur. "Well I think I understand the basics. Seamus had some Muggle magazines he smuggled into the dorms."

Arthur couldn't help but smile, "Yes, well while somewhat instructive on the mechanics of sex but there is a lot more to it than that. "I'm sure then that you know that "Tab A, goes into Slot B and so on, correct?"

"Yes sir," Harry replied softly.

Arthur smiled at the young boy, correction, young man, he said to himself. He reached up to a shelf over his work bench and among the myriad of manuals and catalogues, he pulled down a somewhat battered blue leather bound book.

"I'd like you to take this and read it Harry, it will explain a lot of things much better than I could, but I also want you to know, that information is really about the sex part of a relationship. I hope you realize that there is a lot more to it than that."

"Yes sir," Harry said again, looking curiously at the book Arthur had handed him. "The thing is it's the other stuff that I understand the least."

Arthur smiled, "Welcome to the club, Harry. You are now a certified member of the I have no idea what makes women tick club."

Harry couldn't help himself and burst out laughing. "I though it was just me," he said finally.

"No, Harry, you are a member of the world's largest club," Arthur told him. "Women are one of the world's most amazing creatures ever created, they are both compassionate and cruel, both tender yet can be quite harsh. In other words Harry, they are without a doubt the most contradictory creatures every to appear."

"I'm hopeful that you will not be subject to much of the more arduous manifestations of the female psyche because of your Bond. As I understand it, you will not be subject to a lot of the petty jealousy that can taint many a relationship. I feel that you and Ginny will share your love at a much deeper level than almost anyone else alive."

Now I hope you realize that there is a huge difference between sex and love. You can have either without the other but at a huge cost. Love is the magic that fuels a relationship and you must realize that it is what will make your life worth living when you share both with a woman, and in this case I'm referring to Ginny.

"Usually when a father is having this conversation with his son, they have no idea who the young man will spend his life with but you don't have to worry about that. But I want you to realize that will also put a lot of pressure on both of you to make sure the relationship works, you have no idea of real misery till the one you love is so mad at you that you aren't talking.

"Yeah, I know," Harry whispered, "Just that half day, Ginny wouldn't talk to me was sheer misery. It hurt so bad that I hope I never experience it again."

"Quite right Harry, Molly and I have only gone to bed three times in out marriage mad at each other, and I'm sure you can understand that her handling of your and Ginny's sleeping arrangements was the most recent time that has happened. Each and every time it does happen I hope and pray it will be the last."

"Now, the best advice I can give you is to love and cherish Ginny, make her happiness one of your top priorities and it will go a long way to making your life with her a happy and rewarding one," Arthur said with a grin.

"Now I want to stress that when the time is right, sharing a wonderful physical relationship with the one you love will be an experience that you and she will find both amazing and fulfilling," Arthur noticed that Harry had finished his first butterbeer, so he opened another one and handed it to him.

"As Ginny matures, you'll find that once a month she may become moody and touchy as a Dragon guarding her eggs, and it may seem no matter what you do is wrong," Arthur said a little more seriously.

"I think I understand that Arthur, Poppy had a discussion with us about some of the changes that she will be undergoing," Harry said with a grimace. "Oh, and that probably is a subject that shouldn't be mentioned to Molly," added apologetically.

Arthur got a knowing smile, "No, I guess not," he said lowly. "Your secret is safe with me Harry." He then gave a chuckle, "A fine example of knowing what to say when and when to not say anything. A useful talent to cultivate."

"I hear you sir," Harry replied with a laugh.

"Good, Harry. Now I want you to go through that book and if you have any questions please feel free to come and talk with me. A loving physically satisfying relationship is one of the benefits of being bonded in any manner to one woman. I can only believe that your Soul-Bond will make tthe even more so."

"Any questions?" Arthur asked. "No, well why don't we rejoin the women in the house, and know that no matter how old you get and how long you've been with Ginny, I'm always here to talk to,even if it's just to get some things off your chest. Sometimes having someone to do that with can prevent a lot of problems between you and your spouse."

"Thank you Arthur, I'll remember that and thanks, I wish that my Dad and I could have had this talk, but since that wasn't possible, I'm glad that you cared enough to take the time for me."

Arthur, clasped Harry's shoulder gently, "I'm happy to do it, Harry. I also wish that your Dad would have been here for this, but I'm glad I could stand in his place and help a fine boy change into a even better young man."

Harry hugged Arthur hard, "Thanks, Dad," he whispered.

With his eyes tearing, Arthur whispered huskily, "You're welcome, son."

**XX HP + GW XX**

**A/N: Well a lot happening in this chapter, Ron is the recipient of a minor wind fall and though not what he had hoped, he still won something. **

**Albus now knows where Harry is and it doesn't look like he's going to accept that fact with grace and ease.**

**Arthur had his "Talk" with Harry and I'm pretty sure it's not what you expected.**

**As always, I love to hear from you so please review.  
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	22. After the Talk

**Harry and Ginny: A Love Story**

**Chapter 22: After The Talk **

Ginny could tell Harry was getting quite emotional, but it was a mostly positive one, mixed with a touch of melancholy.

"_Are you okay, Harry?" _she sent, a little concerned.

"_Yeah, Ginny, I'm fine, really," _he sent back.

"_Okay, I was just a little worried, I'm feeling quite a few emotions coming from you, that's all."_

"_Yeah, well Dad and I had a nice talk besides the other stuff and though he's really great and all, I still miss my own," _Harry sent, letting Ginny feel his conflicting emotions even clearer.

"_You called him Dad," _Ginny sent feeling surprised.

"_Yeah, it is a little strange still but Dad is a pretty exceptional man and since mine is dead, I don't think I could have picked a finer one to call one. Though I'll always miss my own Mum and Dad, I have a pretty good second team."_

Ginny knew that Harry wasn't considering them as filling his own parent's roles, just stepping in where he needed some one to step in and help.

"_I bet Dad was pretty choked up about it, wasn't he?" _Ginny asked, pleasantly.

"_What happened out there in the shed is between Dad and me, if he wishes to share that's his prerogative, but I'm sworn to secrecy. Do you want to tell me all about your talk with your Mum?"_

Ginny wasn't surprised by the fact that Harry still referred to Molly as her Mum, even she wasn't pleased with her yet, so it was no wonder that Harry was still harbouring some resentment.

"_If you come out back real quick, I'll share some of my butterbeer with you," _Harry sent playfully.

"_You'd better save some for me, or else buster!" _Ginny sent in mock anger, but she could tell Harry wasn't fooled, her emotions just didn't match the tone she was sending.

"Excuse me, Mum and Aunt Minerva, Harry would like to see me for a few moments," Ginny said, rising and heading for the door. She hurried outside, trying desperately to not seem so to her Mum and McGonagall, but she knew she probably hadn't succeeded by the low laughter she heard behind her.

She almost ran straight into her dad as she rushed out the door and he had to steady her so she wouldn't fall. "Easy there Spitfire, he went down to the garden out back. Don't hurt yourself rushing to get there, okay?" Arthur said with a smile.

"Yes Dad," she said, as she blushed a little.

Arthur nodded and watched as Ginny hurried away, smiling at the thought of how in love she and Harry seemed.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Ron and Hermione were sitting in the parlour, Ron a bit wide-eyed and Hermione with a smirk on her face.

"Twenty-five Galleons, Hermione, Twenty-five," Ron said in awe.

"Yes I know Ron, that's only about the twelfth time you've said it and it's only been less that an hour," she said, shaking her head amusingly.

"But Twenty-five Galleons, Hermione. You just don't understand, I've never had more than a couple at one time on my own," Ron said, looking at Hermione like she just wasn't understanding him.

"What's the matter. Do they burn a hole in your pocket?" Hermione asked seriously.

Ron looked at her aghast, "Should I have Mum put a spell on my pockets so they won't burn through?" he asked earnestly.

Hermione shook her head, "No Ron, what I'm saying is some people never have any money because as soon as they get some they spend it all, usually on something they don't really need, or something wasteful," she tried to explain.

"But aren't Galleons for spending and buying stuff?" Ron asked a bit perplexed.

Hermione sighed and knew she was going to have her hands full trying to explain this to Ron. "Well, yes Ron, but sometimes it's better to keep some or most for awhile so you have it when you really need something important, understand?"

Ron had a questioning look on his face that was contorted a little in thought.

Hermione tried desperately to think of something that he could relate to. "Quidditch!" she thought to herself.

"Look Ron, you just got new Quidditch gloves last year, right?" she asked directly.

"Well, yeah," he replied hesitantly, "What's that got to do with anything?"

"Quidditch gloves wear out, don't they?" she asked.

Ron nodded, "Yeah even with anti-wear charms on them they last only three or four years playing around her with the family,, Fred and George who are on Gryffindor's team wear them out much quicker," he replied, still wondering what she was driving at.

""Right and how long does it usually take to save up and buy a pair?" Hermione asked a bit smugly.

Ron shrugged, "To tell the truth, Hermione, I'm not sure. I usually end up getting an old pair of Charlie's or Bill's. They're not in the best of shape but they're better than my old ones."

"Wouldn't it nice to be able to own your very own set of them, not hand-me-downs? Hermione with a smile.

"Well, yeah, sure but I never have enough," Ron said, with a bit of a frown.

"If you'd set aside some now, when you really need it, it would still be available," Hermione explained. "If nothing else, you'd have money set aside for Hogsmeade trips." She could see the wheels turning and she could tell he was slowly getting there, but not quite there yet.

"In the Muggle world we have banks similar to Gringott's, though of course they're not run by Goblins. The thing is my parents made me get a savings account and any time I got a little money, I'd keep a little but most I'd put in the account. By the time I came to Hogwarts I had a nice tidy sum built up, when converted it came to about 125 Galleons," she said a bit smugly.

"Blimey, Hermione! 125 Galleons, that's quite a lot of money, you could get a really decent broom with that much," Ron said in surprise.

"Well, yes, though I'd never buy a broom, but I have gotten some really great books, and the thing is any time I get any money, I still do the same thing," she said, hopefully.

"You still have a muggle account?" Ron asked in surprise.

"No, I now have a small vault a Gringott's, it saves on the exchange rate some," she said, slightly concerned, not knowing how Ron would react to her having an account at Gringott's.

"You have an account at Gringott's?" he asked, staring at her in shock.

Hermione just blushed a little, waiting to see if he would say or do anything else.

Instead of the expected blow up or some sort of biting remark, Ron nodded his head and said, "Thanks Hermione, I'll think about the account thing but for now, maybe I'll let my Mum keep some of it for me."

Hermione was gobsmacked, never did she think it'd be that easy to convince Ron to save some of his winnings.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Harry saw Ginny coming around the house and into the back garden, he could feel her happiness and it made him smile. Just feeling how happy she was a lot of the time, made him feel better and he knew he had the Bond to thank for it.

"_So where is this butterbeer?" _she asked coyly.

"_Right over here,"_ he sent, holding up his bottle.

"_Why did Dad give it to you?" _she asked as she sat down next to him.

Harry shrugged, "_He said it was one of the Weasley family traditions when the father gave the "talk" to his sons he would give them their first butterbeer."_

"_I'm going to complain to Mum,"_ Ginny said with a pout. "_All I got was a lecture on the proper way to handle a boy till you have met the one you're going to marry. No fun stuff like butterbeer was involved. The only thing discussed was drinking your potion on time."_

"_Potion? What potion?" _Harry asked innocently.

"_Really, Harry, what did you and Dad talk about?" _Ginny asked as she rolled her eyes.

Harry considered her question carefully, finally coming to the conclusion that discussing things in generalities couldn't hurt, after all they had done so about the talk she had gotten from her mother.

"_Mainly we talked about the love side of things. He asked me if I knew the basics and gave me a book to read, saying it would tell me things better than he could on what he termed the mechanics of sex," _he said earnestly.

"_We talked about treating your wife right and about having a good relationship making things go a lot easier for both parties, well really, you and me. He also said it's important to learn when to say the right thing and when it's better to say nothing at all," _Harry said with a sly grin.

Ginny couldn't help herself, "_I hope you can learn that skill, I'm not sure most men are able," _she sent with a smirk.

"_Hey! As a member of the male sex, I think I should take exception to that,"_ and then with his own smirk he added, _though this may be one of those times when it's better to say nothing at all."_

Ginny's eyes widened in shock but Harry silenced her by saying, "_Aren't we going to drink this butterbeer?"_

Ginny smiled at him and couldn't help but chuckle, "_Very sly there, Harry, very __sly."_

Harry just smiled back and took a sip of butterbeer in front of her.

"_Hey! What happened to ladies first?" _Ginny asked, a little indignantly.

"_Well you were still talking and my throat was getting a bit parched from all this discussing things so I figured I hurry things along by getting your attention the best way I could," _Harry sent, smiling at her the whole time. He then offered her the bottle, "_I'm pretty sure you're going to love it."_

Ginny smiled at him as she brought the bottle to her lips and took a small taste. _"Merlin's beard, Harry! This stuff is incredible. Thank you so much for sharing it with me."_

"_You're very welcome, Ginny. I knew you'd love it and just had to share some with you."_

Ginny offered the bottle back to Harry and they took turns taking sips until the bottle was empty.

"_Thank you again Harry, that was a really nice treat and I'm so glad that you shared it with me."_

"_Ginny, you're my Bond-Mate, how could I not share it with you?" _he sent a bit perplexed.

Ginny giggled, causing Harry to look at her like she'd gone completely barmy.

"_I guess growing up with six siblings you kind of get use to people trying to keep stuff for themselves. Oh, of course we shared plenty, but something like butterbeer that is such a treat, one would tend to try to keep it from the others, kind of like some really good Honeyduke's chocolate. Chocolate frogs and the normal stuff we'd share all the time, but every once in a while, Aunt Muriel would give me some of their best dark chocolate and that I always hide and keep for myself."_

Harry eyed her intently, but with a smile on his face, _"Sooooo, do you have any of that special dark chocolate still stashed away?" _he asked, the laughter dancing in his eyes.

Ginny looked at him in surprise, ready to scold him, but then she saw the look on his face and burst out laughing. "_No, unfortunately I'm out right now, but please know that if I had any, I'd definitely share it with you." _She then leaned over and gave him a sweet little kiss.

Harry got a serious look on his face, and frowned a little.

"_What is it, Harry?" _Ginny asked, growing concerned with his darkening mood.

"_I'm a blithering idiot, Ginny, I really am," _Harry said disparagingly.

"_What's wrong and why are you an idiot. . ." _and then before she could stop herself added, _"I mean besides the normal stuff you're an idiot about?"_

Harry glanced at her, frowning, but then after a moment, he gave a chuckle and a shake of his head, before he began to laugh outright.

"_Merlin, Ginny. I don't know what I'd do without you. You are without a doubt the best thing that has ever happened to me," _he said with a smile as he reached over and pulled her into a huge hug. Not quite as bone breaking as Molly's but Ginny definitely knew she was being hugged.

"_So, are you going to tell me why you are a blithering idiot?" _she gently chided.

"_I'll tell you later, right now I need to speak to Dad. You coming?"_ Harry said, as he stood and extended his hand to her.

Ginny could feel a sense of smugness from Harry, but he was also very happy about something too. _"What are you up to?"_ she asked with a questioning smile.

"_You'll find out soon enough, okay?" _Harry asked, wanting to keep it a secret, but also not wanting to upset Ginny.

"_All right, Harry. I'll let it go for now, but if you're pranking me you'll regret it for the rest of your life."_

**XX HP + GW XX**

Harry and Ginny returned inside and as they entered the kitchenMinerva and Molly stopped speaking and looked at the young couple.

To Harry they looked like they had been caught talking about something that they didn't want them to know about. "_What's up with Aunt Minnie and your Mum?"_ he asked Ginny.

"_Aunt Minnie?" _asked an amused Ginny.

"_Well the way everyone talks about your Aunt Muriel, I thought Aunt Minerva sounded too formal, like your Aunt. So I thought Aunt Minnie would be nicer. What do you think?" _Harry asked.

Ginny giggled, "_I love it, though I wonder how she'll take it?"_

"_Only one way to find out," _Harry replied with a grin. _"Do you want to do the honours?"_

Ginny smiled back, "_No, it's your idea and I think you should be the one to use it first."_

Harry shrugged as they went over to the table and sat down, "Hi Aunt Minnie," he said with a grin.

Harry and Ginny laughed at the reaction that Minerva gave, she had been sipping on her tea and almost choked on it, looking quite surprised. "Aunt Minnie?" she said, sputtering slightly.

Molly was also surprised, but couldn't help but chuckle too at Minerva's reaction.

"Why the Aunt Minnie?" Minerva asked, bewilderedly.

"Well, it seems less formal and friendlier," Harry replied, still grinning at her.

After a moment, Minerva smiled, "I can see that and I find nothing wrong with it either. If you and Ginny wish to call me Aunt Minnie, I have nothing against it."

"Thanks, Aunt Minnie," Harry said, getting up and giving her a hug,

"_Ginny, why don't we go up to our room and let them get back to whatever they were talking about, before we interrupted?" _Harry sent, feeling happy about Minerva's acceptance of the new nickname.

"_Okay with me,"_ Ginny replied, feeling just as happy as Harry.

"We'll see you later," Ginny said, taking Harry's hand and together they let up the stairs.

Minerva couldn't help but chuckle again, "Godric, Aunt Minnie! What next?"

"You took that very well," Molly commented.

"Did you see the look on Harry's face when I said I accepted it?" Minerva asked. "If I have to be Aunt Minnie, so be it, as long as it makes him happy. I think he's had very little to be happy about in his life so if I can change it by accepting his wanting to call be Aunt Minnie, it's a small price to pay."

"You're a good woman, Minerva. One with a huge heart and I know that Harry can feel that. I am so happy that you're involved with Harry, you can give him some things that we never could, and I'm not talking about things that you can buy for him," Molly said, a smile on her face.

"Okay, enough of that, let's get back to talking about Harry's birthday, we still have a lot to plan for, if we're going to make this really special for him," Minerva said, feeling a bit embarrassed.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Ron and Hermione can out of the parlour, Ron still holding onto Scabbers, who he had found hiding under the couch.

"Let me take Scabbers back up and put him in his cage," Ron said, a bit embarrassed by his useless pet. "I just don't understand how he keeps getting out of his cage?

Hermione looked perplexed, "Doesn't the cage have some kind of catch on it?"

"Yeah, but it doesn't seem to be a huge deterrent, he seems to get out anyway," Ron replied.

Hermione looked at Scabbers closely, he seemed to be sound asleep as Ron was carrying him up the stairs. "Does he do anything at all? she asked, shaking her head.

"Not that I know of," Ron replied as they entered his room. He then went over to the cage that stood on a small table, placed his rat inside, closed and latched the cage.

Hermione took a good look at the catch, wondering if it was worn or didn't close right, but as far as she could tell, it looked quite secure. "Strange," she muttered to herself.

Ron flopped down on his bed, so Hermione sat on the other one. Ron smiled, "Just think, Hermione, I'm going to have my picture in the paper, isn't it wonderful?"

"I think it's great, Ron. Your paper really was very good and you deserve some recognition for it," she said with a smile. "Though I bet the teachers will expect more out of you now that you've shown you can do such a good job writing an essay."

Ron got a horrified look on his face, "Oh Godric, Hermione. Why did I ever let you talk me into writing that essay?"

"It was easy, Ron, as soon as you heard 100 Galleons you were very eager to write the essay," Hermione said, shaking her head, as she rose.

"Where are you going?" Ron asked, rising up on one elbow.

"I'm going to go down ans spend a little time with McGonagall. Want to come?" she asked sweetly.

"Ah, no, that's okay," Ron said, laying back down. "I think I'll just get a little rest for now."

"Suit yourself," Hermione said smugly, knowing that as soon as she mentioned McGonagall that he would decline. "See ya."

**XX HP + GW XX**

Molly and Minerva were talking about the plans for Harry's birthday when Hermione came and joined them.

"Hi, Molly, Professor McGonagall, mind if I join you?" she asked with a smile.

"Not at all, as long as you promise not to tell Harry what we're planning," Molly said, with a smile.

"Why, what's up?" Hermione asked curiously.

"We're planning a big party for Harry's birthday and Ginny told us how he's never celebrated one before, well since his parents died. I was at his first birthday party that Lily and James threw for him," Minerva said a bit sadly.

Hermione was shocked, never having considered how tough Harry's life had really been. She had heard him make some comments about not liking it at his relatives, but this was the first time she had heard about not ever having celebrated his birthday.

"What can I do to help?" she asked.

Molly looked thoughtful for a moment, "Well, it would be helpful to have someone help Ginny keep Harry occupied the day before his birthday, so that we can do some of the things we need to get done without him being curious about what we're doing. Can you help with that?"

"Yeah, I'll think of a good reason to keep him occupied. The hard part will be coordinating with Ginny. It's like they stuck to each other with a permanent sticking charm," Hermione said with a chuckle.

"Yes, that will be a challenge but if I can, I'll try to tip Ginny off to speak with you," Molly said, sympathetically.

Minerva looked thoughtful for a moment, "Maybe we can organize a trip to Diagon Alley. Ginny wants to get Harry a gift so that would be an opportunity to get you two together without too much suspicion."

"Brilliant, Professor," Hermione said with a smile.

"Hermione, since we are not at school and I am one of Harry's guardians and will be spending a lot more time here than in the past, I think we can dispense with the Professor thing while we are not at school. Can you do that?" she asked.

"Okay, but what shall I call you? Does Harry call you something special?" Hermione asked, looking perplexed.

Molly chuckled while Minerva rolled her eyes.

"What?" asked Hermione, seeing the looks of merriment in the two older witch's eyes.

Taking a deep breath, Minerva said "Well, Harry and Ginny have decided to call me. . . Aunt Minnie."

Minerva and Molly almost burst out laughing at the look that appeared on Hermione's face, never before seeing such a shocked and embarrassed look on her before.

"Aunt Minnie?" Hermione squeaked.

Closing her eyes and with a sigh of acceptance, "Yes, Aunt Minnie."

Hermione's face got a screwed up expression on it, like she had tasted something very sour. "Is it okay if I use Aunt Minerva instead?" she asked uncertainly.

Minerva nodded, "That will be fine."

Hermione breathed a sigh of relief, while even calling Professor McGonagall, Aunt Minerva was a bit of a stretch or her comfort zone, she knew she'd never be able to call her Aunt Minnie.

It was then that the Twins made their presence know, smiling mischievously, they said "Aunt Minnie!" with a certain devilish glee.

Molly looked at them horrified, wondering what they would do with that information, but to her surprise, and everyone else's they sat down and smiled at the Professor.

"We like it," George said with a wink at Minerva.

"Yeah, away from school and with your hair down, you're actually a really cool person to be around," added Fred.

They quickly downed the drinks they had grabbed and rising Fred said "Well, see ya, Aunt Minnie," and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek.

George was next in line, "Time to get back to painting the chicken coop, see ya later Aunt Minnie" he said, also giving her a kiss on the cheek.

The three women sat stunned as they watched Fred and George as they left.

"Well that was quite unusual," Minerva said.

"Yes," agreed Molly, "I shudder to think what they'll do next.

Hermione just looked very thoughtful, she was seeing a different side to the Twins and she was totally perplexed, not knowing if it was a ruse of I they were serious. To her, they seemed serious, but she still had a hard time in figuring them out, so she wasn't quite convinced as of yet.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Arthur had gone back out to his shed after checking in with Molly, after his talk with Harry. He was still feeling quite happy about Harry's calling him Dad, and though he knew he would never replace James, the fact that Harry was accepting him in the role of a father figure, was a huge thing to him.

He turned on the wireless and listened to the WWN as he puttered with some of the projects he had going. He had just about gotten his toaster to work by magic, right now it either didn't do anything or burnt everything to a rather impressive approximation of charcoal, with nothing in between.

He was also quite pleased about Ron's entry into the essay contest, and hoped it would be an incentive to do better in his schooling. Of all his sons, he worried about Ron the most.

Ron hadn't figured out who he was yet, taking longer than any of his brothers in doing so. His only real passion was Quidditch, but didn't even pursue it enough if he ever thought about playing it professionally. No, right now Ron seemed to be drifting along without any clear direction in which he wanted to go.

Not that there wasn't still time, but unless his attitude changed, things were only going to get tougher down the road.

Truth be told, it was one of the reasons that he liked Hermione Granger so much, she seemed to be a good influence on Ron, trying to get him to apply himself more. To some she may have seemed bossy but in many respects she reminded him of a much younger Molly. Though he would never admit that to anyone.

Not so much in her drive for academic perfection, which was something that Molly hadn't really possessed, though she did try her hardest in everything she did. No it was that quality to try to make others try their hardest too. A trait that had served them well with their other children, instilling in Bill, Charlie, Percy and yes, even the Twins to strive for excellence in whatever they did.

Though things weren't perfect, with Percy's drive to excel at the Ministry at the cost of everything else and he kind of wished the Twins had picked a field other than pranking and humour, he knew that they'd probably succeed in turning that into something they could make a living at.

Just then the wireless began to play the theme from the Sorcerer's Apprentice, making him smile. It proved that a Wizard with enough drive and creativity could make his mark not only in the Wizarding World, but the muggle one as well, Walt Disney was a perfect example. He was known world over for the magic he had spun making people happy.

**XX HP + GW XX**

It was late in the afternoon when the cabal in the kitchen finished their planning session and Molly invited Minerva to stay for dinner. After a moments hesitation, she graciously accepted, wanting to spend a little more time watching Harry and Ginny interacting.

Not being able to set aside her academic side all together, she had been documenting the progression of their bonding, without reporting any of their personal information. She and Poppy thought that it was a rare chance to expand the knowledge base on Bondings, something that was severely lacking at the moment.

As everyone gather in the kitchen, it was interesting to watch the reactions of the children as they sat down for dinner. Almost everyone laughed as the Twins came in, kissed Minerva on the cheek and called her Aunt Minnie.

Ron's was the most comical reaction, paling first then blushing when she greeted him, finally sitting down as far from her as possible and remain at the same table. Looking like he'd rather disappear than remain in the same room as her.

Harry and Ginny had no problem at all in seeing her there, in fact they looked quite pleased, sitting down next to her, Ginny closest tonight and Harry next to Ginny.

Percy was, well Percy, very formal, you'd have thought it was some high ranking Ministry function that he was attending, the way he acted.

It was during dinner that Minerva had the opportunity to whisper to Ginny about the plan to distract Harry the day before his birthday and though Harry felt the happiness radiating off of her, she refused coyly, to tell him what the reason was.

Harry took it rather stoically, but figured that he must have been the topic of conversation between them. He couldn't really explain why, but he couldn't shake it so he just accepted it and knew he'd find out sooner or later.

One thing he had learned at the Dursley's was patience. Once you've been subject to being locked in a cupboard under the stairs for long periods of time, you learned to accept that what you couldn't change and patience by not being allowed out.

**XX HP + GW XX**

It was later that evening when everyone was preparing to go to bed that Hermione was shocked to see Harry slip out of his bedroom and enter Ginny's, closing and locking the door behind him.

She stood there in disbelief for several moments while the reality of the situation sunk in and she her mind was processing things furiously as she tried to comprehend the implications.

Her first though was what would happen if they got caught, but something didn't seem right about that. If they were sneaking around, wouldn't they have waited till the house was quiet before Harry snuck into Ginny's room. That and as she thought about it, Harry didn't seem to be sneaking, he had just casually walked across the hall from his room to Ginny's as if it were a common occurrence.

Something just didn't add up for Hermione, Harry had just seemed too calm and casual for it to be anything else but a set routine. She couldn't come up with any other reason that it had to do something with the Bond that Ron had spoken of.

Now her curiosity was really kicking into high gear, she wanted answers, no correction, she needed answers and she wondered who she could ask discreetly and hope to get the truth.

She ruled out Molly and Arthur, she just didn't feel comfortable enough with them to risk it. She knew Ron had already given her all the information that he had and he seemed clueless about the sleeping arrangements.

She couldn't see herself ever going to Percy, as rigid as she was, she was as floppy as a wet noodle compared to Percy.

That left the Twins and she smiled at the thought. Though they had a really wild side, they also showed flashes of responsibility that she found a bit out of character, at least from what she had known. Being here for so long she had found out that it wasn't out of character, just something they didn't express a lot.

Yes, tomorrow she would see if she couldn't speak to the Twins in private. She knew she might be taking her life into her own hands, but sometimes finding out the truth could be a bit dangerous.

**XX HP + GW X**

**A/N: Harry's birthday approaches, and the games afoot. Can Ginny keep it a secret or will she break down and spill her guts?**

**Will Hermione find out about the "Special" sleeping arrangements or will it remain a mystery?**

**Will little boy blue find his sheep. Or will the big bad wolf get there first?**

**As always, please review. **

**And for all you people out there who have favoured the story and not left a review, well I'm gonna start naming names. Just thought you'd like to know. **


	23. The Hunt Begins

**Harry and Ginny: A Love Story**

**Chapter 23: The Hunt Begins **

Harry entered Ginny's room and found her sitting at her dressing table brushing her hair. He came over behind her and stared as she ran the brush repeatedly down through her long fiery locks.

Ginny felt him behind her and she could tell he was staring at her in fascination, causing her to giggle. "Like what you see," she said teasingly.

It took Harry a moment to answer, as he watched mesmerized, following the brush with his eyes as it travelled down through her silky, shiny hair. "Yeah, I do," he said softly, "I love how shiny brushing it makes your hair look."

Ginny sat working on her hair for a few more moments and she could feel Harry looking at her and she got a sense of want or desire, not in any sexual way, but as if he wanted to do something. "What is it, Harry?" she asked, questioningly.

"Would you mind if I brushed it for you," he said softly and hesitantly.

Ginny smiled at him and handed him the brush. His first few strokes were exceedingly light, barely penetrating her hair at all. "You need to be a little more firm with it, Harry," Ginny chided him.

"I didn't want to hurt you," Harry replied, sheepishly.

"Give me your hand," Ginny said, with a smile. She placed her hand over his and brushed it down through her hair several times, letting him get a feel for the proper pressure. After about five or six she let go of his hand and let him continue on his own.

Ginny watched his face in the mirror and she saw a huge smile develop on his face as he settled into a nice rhythm. Ginny couldn't believe how wonderful it felt as Harry pampered her. She let her eyes drift shut and concentrated on the duel feelings of the wonderful sensations of Harry brushing her hair, plus the warm, loving feelings she felt from him as he did so.

"Ummm, this feels really nice," she whispered.

"So I'm doing an okay job?" he asked in reply.

"Oh, you'd better believe it Harry, can't you feel how wonderful I think it feels?"

Harry chuckled, "Well, I do now, but I was concentrating so much on doing a good job that I wasn't really paying that close attention. Sorry about that," he answered sheepishly.

The longer Harry brushed Ginny's hair, the more relaxed she became until after about twenty minutes, he sensed she was falling asleep. He gently set the brush down and noticing the bed was turned down he tenderly picked Ginny up and carried her to bed.

Ginny snuggled into him for the short trip, a sleepy smile on her face. As he placed her gently in the bed she said, "Thank you Harry, that was definitely a special moment."

Harry slipped in beside her after extinguishing the lights and as soon as he was settled, Ginny cuddled into his side. Within moments she was asleep. Harry watched her for a few minutes, the moonlight sparkling off her hair. He felt his love for her spring forth, swelling his heart and he leaned down to place a tender kiss on her brow.

He couldn't believe the feelings that washed over him, after growing up in a house so devoid of love and laughter, coming to the Burrow was a life altering experience and he thanked God that he had been delivered from the hell that had been his life before Bonding with Ginny. With that on his mind, he drifted off to sleep.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Hermione headed up to her room and as her hand came to rest on the doorknob, she came to a decision. She turned and went up one flight and knocked softly on the Twins' door. She heard movement and in a moment the door opened.

Fred, or at least she assumed it was Fred because he was wearing a pyjama top with a huge F on it, but the twins were notorious for switching their marked clothing to confuse everyone around them.

"Can I talk to you two?" she asked.

The twin at the door paused a second and glanced back into the room, getting a nod from his brother he said, "Sure, come on in," with a slightly devilish grin.

"Why do I feel like the fly, entering the Spider's abode," she said softly, though grinning back.

Sure enough, the twin who had answered the door went over and sat on the bed that had George carved into the headboard. It was then she noticed he was wearing pyjama bottoms with small G's all over them. Fred was similarly attired, but just the opposite, large G top with little F's on the bottom.

"What can we do for you?" asked Fred.

"Will you guys answer some questions about Harry and Ginny for me?" she asked.

Fred and George looked at each other, and when George shrugged, Fred said, "Ask away, but we don't guarantee we'll answer everything, but we do promise to tell you the truth when we do answer."

"Fair enough," replied Hermione. She sat down on the chair by the desk near the door.

"Have you noticed anything, well, odd about them?" she asked.

Fred gave a low laugh, "What do you mean by odd?"

Hermione couldn't help but smile back, knowing what the twins considered odd could greatly differ from her definition. Taking a deep breath to fortify herself, she said "Look, I don't want to cause any trouble, but I saw something tonight that got me wondering and if I tell you and it gets to others, well it could cause a problem."

George and Fred laughed, "Hermione, if you know something we don't, we'll give up pranking for life," said George.

Hermione raised an eyebrow, but chuckled too. "Can I have that in writing?" she said humorously.

"Nah, you'll just have to take out word on it," Fred replied.

"Thought so," Hermione replied with a grin.

"So what did you see?" asked George.

"I saw Harry going into Ginny's bedroom and he closed and locked the door. He was also ready for bed, know what I mean. Doesn't this seem a little odd?" she asked inquisitively.

"Well maybe to you," said Fred.

"Unless you knew what we knew," added George, with both twins having huge grins on their faces.

"So can you tell me what you know?" asked Hermione.

Fred and George once more exchanged glances, "That depends," replied George.

"Yeah, what do you plan on doing with this information?" asked Fred.

Hermione was surprised by the question. No one had ever asked her why she wanted to know something before. "Look, I'm trying to understand what's going on. I don't plan on doing anything with it."

"So if we tell you, you won't tell anyone else?" Fred asked.

"You mean, someone like Ron?" Hermione asked.

"Yeah, he's the one we'd be worried most about, but we mean anyone Hermione," said George.

"We wouldn't want it to get out exactly how much we know about things," George said.

"It could lead to all sorts of questions we really would rather not answer," Fred added.

Hermione got real thoughtful for a couple of moments, "Okay, what if I promise not to tell anyone?"

"Does that include anyone in authority?" asked Fred.

Hermione squirmed a bit but finally said, "Yes, I swear I won't tell anyone."

Fred and George glanced at one another for a moment before both gave a little nod.

"Okay, Hermione, if you swear on it, we'll answer your question," George finally said.

"I'll swear on it, but I don't have my wand with me," she replied.

"Doesn't matter, if you swear by your magic, it will be binding," Fred replied.

"Okay," she said, looking a bit bewildered, she wasn't sure if that was really true, but she figured she had nothing to lose. "I, Hermione Jean Granger, do solemnly swear by my magic not to divulge any of the information you are about to give me."

Fred and George sat up, looking much more enthusiastic than they had before.

"Okay, the first thing is, did you know that Ginny and Harry are Bonded?" George asked.

"Ron said something about that, and your Mum said something the other day when we talked about Harry, but I still don't know what that really means," Hermione replied.

"And since you haven't had an opportunity to research it, you haven't found out, have you?' said Fred, with a smug look.

"That's right,"

"From what we've been able to gather, it means that they are soul-mates," said George.

"And they're linked now, mind and soul," added Fred.

"Yeah, and they can talk to one another directly from mind to mind," said George, added, almost gleefully.

They watched in amusement as Hermione's mouth dropped open, a stunned look upon her face.

"Are you sure," she eventually stammered out.

"Yeah, they creamed us at two on two Quidditch, and when we asked how was that possible, they told us," Fred said triumphantly.

"Okayyy," Hermione said, her mind spinning, "What about Harry sleeping in Ginny's room?"

"Actually they take turns on who's room they sleep in," George said with a smile.

"Do your parent's know?"

"Yeah, Mum wasn't too keen on the idea and it lead to some really bad arguments and things, but Poppy came and helped explain to them about the Bond and she finally relented." Fred explained.

"Poppy?" Hermione asked, once more bewildered.

"Yeah, you know, Madam Pomfrey, from school." George said, grinning at her.

"And Harry didn't, like, you know, have a fit?" Hermione asked, incredulously.

"Not that we could tell. Actually she's totally different away from Hogwarts. I didn't hardly recognise her at first," said Fred.

"Yeah, out of uniform and with her hair down, she's actually a really nice person," laughed George.

Hermione's shock just kept on growing from one moment to the next. What the twins said next was even a bigger one.

"She and Aunt Minnie are really super to get to know," Fred said, laughing at the look on Hermione's face.

"Aunt Minnie?" she whispered.

"Yeah, you know McGonagall. She's one of Harry's guardians now and they've decided to call her Aunt Minnie," George replied.

"Said it was much friendlier," added Fred.

Both just looked at the stunned Hermione, "Looks like we broke her," Fred said lowly.

"Ah, Hermione?" George asked softly, "are you okay?"

Hermione's eyes flitted to George's, "I guess so, but you have to admit, that's a lot to take in. Anything else I should know?"

"Well, with this Bonding, it seems that they are hardly ever apart," George stated.

"If you've noticed, they are rarely more than a few feet from one another," said Fred.

"Though it isn't as bad any more, sometimes Dad will take Harry out to his shed to help with his Muggle stuff and Mum will make Ginny stay inside," George said .

"Though even then they don't stay apart for too long, I think the maximum has been about a half hour," added Fred.

George looked at Fred and shuddered, "Except for that day before Mum relented."

"Oh yeah, that was a really bad day," Fred said, looking just like George.

"Why? What happened?" asked Hermione.

"Dad had left for work and Mum had a big row with Ginny and Harry and she sent then to their rooms, not allowing them to be together," George said, with a frown.

"Yeah, that was early on, and I guess the compulsion to be together wasn't as strong," added George.

"So they stayed in their rooms all afternoon, but now that we know they can speak mind to mind, it explained why they were laughing and giggling all afternoon," Fred said with a smile.

"We didn't understand till the Quidditch game, when they told us about the speaking thing," George said with a chuckle.

"Any thing else?" Hermione asked, a bit apprehensively.

"Only that Dumbledore didn't know till just recently," Fred exclaimed.

"Really! What did he say?" Hermione asked, her eyes wide in horror.

"Don't know," George said with a shrug.

Hermione was sitting their contemplating what she had just learned, when they heard Ron come down the stairs heading for the loo.

"Thanks you two," Hermione said, as she rose. "You've certainly given me a lot to think about and I'd better head back to my room before Ron comes back,"

"Okay, Hermione, and this information thing goes two ways," Fred said.

"Yeah, if you find out anything we expect you to share with us too," said George.

"I will, and thanks again," Hermione said as she slipped out the door.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Harry's birthday was fast approaching and Ginny still didn't have anything for Harry. He was concerned because he was feeling her anxiety building and he had no idea why.

She had politely refused to tell him what was the matter and though that alleviated his fears somewhat, he still wanted to do anything he could to help his Bond-Mate.

They were sitting at breakfast when Aunt Minnie showed up, "Hey you two, how would you like to go to Diagon Alley with me?"

Harry's and Ginny's eyes lit up, both had reasons to go, "That would be great Aunt Minnie," both replied at the same time, causing them to giggle at one another. They hurriedly finished their breakfast and scampered upstairs to get dressed.

Ginny was hoping that somehow she'd be able to have some free time and get Harry's present without him knowing. Maybe Aunt Minnie would be able to help with that.

Harry could feel Ginny's excitement and slightly anxious feelings which he was surprised, mirrored his own. Today was the day he planned to spring his surprise on her.

Downstairs Minerva quickly corralled the Twins, "Boy's I'd like you two to come along, Ginny wants to get Harry's birthday present and needs a good reason to separate from him. I'd like you two to find a reason to take Harry off for maybe an hour or so. Think you can do it?"

Fred and George just smiled at one another, before turning to Minerva, "Don't worry Aunt Minnie, we're just the two for the job," Fred said gleefully.

George's face mirrored Fred"s, "Yeah if we can't accomplish such a simple task, we won't be a bit of bother to you next year."

Minerva couldn't help but laugh, "I almost want you to fail, but it means so much to Ginny that I really don't want you to."

When Ron and Hermione heard there was a trip planned to Diagon Alley, they wanted to go along too. Ron, because he actually had some money of his own to spend and Hermione because she wanted to get to Flourish and Blotts so she could check if they had any books on Bonds.

Since they had been a little late coming down, they had missed the conversation that Minerva had with the Twins. Molly laughed and decided that she'd go along so that Minerva wasn't stuck with the whole crew by herself. She quickly set the dishes to washing themselves, took off her apron, and hurried upstairs to put on something a little more appropriate for going shopping.

It didn't take long before they were all ready, and standing in the parlour to use the floo. Minerva went first, followed by Harry and Ginny, the Twins, Ron, Hermione and Molly bringing up the rear.

Once they were all assembled in the Leaky Cauldron, Minerva led them out back to the alley way, where she tapped the bricks so that the archway opened, admitting them to Diagon Alley.

As with Harry's first visit, the Alley was alive with people, all going about their business and his nose was assaulted by the myriad of odours that were so unique to the magical world. Some quite enticing and others fairly foul. (you try sniffing Toad livers sometime, especially pickled ones.)

Harry turned immediately to Minerva, "Aunt Minnie, I need to take Ginny to Gringott's," he said lowly to her.

Minerva raised an eyebrow, but didn't say anything at first. She was fairly certain why Harry wanted to do so, but the manner in which he told her made her think that he hadn't informed Ginny of his plan. "Okay, Harry. Why don't we get that out of the way first."

Harry breathed a sigh of relief, so far things were going as he had hoped they would.

Minerva announced that she was taking Harry and Ginny with her, but didn't say why. She didn't want to cause a scene as she was pretty sure that Harry hadn't discussed it with Molly. Things still being a little tense between them and the Weasley Matriarch.

Molly hardly had time to protest before she was dragged off by Ron, who wanted to go to Quality Quidditch Supply. The Twins winked at Minerva, letting her know that they would stick close so they could snag Harry at an appropriate time.

Ginny gave Minerva a nervous look but was heartened when she gave her a sly wink and a smile, letting Ginny breathe a sigh of relief, knowing that Aunt Minnie had something up her sleeve.

The whole time they were making their way to Gringott's, Harry and Ginny were feeling the others emotions, both were very excited at the prospect of getting done what they had planned in secret. Though they were very circumspect about pressing the other about what was causing their elation.

To Harry it seemed to take an eternity to get to the Wizarding Bank and it wasn't till they were climbing the steps that he breathed a sigh of relief. Harry glanced up at the huge doors and remembered fondly his first visit with Hagrid just about two years ago.

Once they were through the doors, Harry slowed, not quite knowing what he needed to do. He had finally decided to go to one of the tellers to ask but before he took two steps a very well dressed Goblin approached him.

"Good morning Mr. Potter, we have been expecting your visit," he said with a bow.

They were all surprised at the Goblin's statement and were a little stunned. Minerva was the first to recover, "Why thank you for your anticipation of Mr. Potter's arrival."

The goblin smiled, "Why don't we go somewhere a little more private. I think that's appropriate, don't you agree Professor McGonagall?"

"Yes I do, Gornuk," Minerva said, smiling back at the goblin.

"Ah, you remember me then," Gornuk said, smiling back. "This way, please."

"_Harry, what's going on and why did they know we were going to be coming here sometime?" _Ginny asked.

"_As to why the goblins were expecting us, I have no idea. As to why we're here, if I tell you do you promise not to get mad?"_

While they were talking they were following Gornuk into a small conference room off to one side_,_ once they were all inside, Gornuk closed the door and motioned for them to sit down.

Ginny hadn't had a chance to ask Harry to explain when Gornuk relieved Harry of informing Ginny why they were there.

"I'm glad that you and your Bond-Mate are here to change the status on your accounts. It would be an accounting nightmare if it wasn't accomplished soon."

Ginny looked at Harry, stunned at what she had just heard. "_Is this why you brought me here?" _she said in surprise.

Minerva was watching them with an amused smile on her face. She had wondered how Ginny was going to react and though she had thought it would be received rather well, she didn't really know for certain.

"_Yes, Ginny," _Harry said sheepishly.

"_Why didn't you just tell me?"_ she asked, perplexed.

"_I wasn't sure how you'd take it but it was something important to me, I hope you're not mad at me,"_ Harry said contritely.

"_No Harry, I'm not mad, a little disappointed, but I can understand why you did it. We'll talk about that later, okay?" _Ginny replied, softly.

Harry sighed, he had debated whether to tell her before hand, but in the end was too afraid she'd say no.

Gornuk didn't seem to notice anything unusual, or if he did, he didn't give any indication. He just went about looking though a small stack of parchments until Harry and Ginny turned his attention to him.

"It's a fairly simple process, you both just need to sign several documents and then we can give Miss Weasley her key and grant her access to your vaults," Gornuk explained.

Harry got a confused look on his face, "Excuse me, did you say vaults?"

Gornuk smiled at him, "Yes Mr. Potter. It has come to our attention that you may have not been aware of your family's vault and only about you trust fund vault. Why don't we get started on signing and I'll be happy to explain about your family vault."

Gornuk set several parchments out on the table, some in front of Harry and some in front of Ginny. He produced two quills and handed one to each of them. "Please sign where indicated on the bottom of the page."

Both Harry and Ginny leaned forward and signed in the appropriate places and then Gornuk switched the piles and had them repeat the signing. "There, that wasn't so difficult, was it?"

He then produced a key and handed it to Ginny, "This will get you access to the trust vault," he said with a smile, "However for you both to get access to the family vault, I'll need a drop of each of your blood."

Harry and Ginny exchanged glances and they felt each others apprehension.

"It's really quite painless, just press your fingers onto the last parchment in the circle indicated," Gornuk explained.

Both did so and were surprised to feel a little pricking sensation and when they removed their thumbs, they saw there was blood within the circle.

"Fine, just one more thing for today," Gornuk said amiably. "We took the liberty of retrieving this for you Mr. Potter," he said as he handed Harry a signet ring. "Normally the Heir doesn't receive their ring until they become of age, but since you're the only surviving member of your family, you are due it now."

Harry slowly reached out and took the ring from Gornuk, he looked at it closely.

He was about to put it on his left hand when Minerva softly said, "It goes on your right hand, Harry."

Harry blushed in embarrassment, but Ginny sent "_Don't be embarrassed Harry, how were you to know. Normally you would have seen your father wearing his and know where it went."_

Even Gornuk seemed subdued as if he knew why Harry didn't know where to wear the ring. "That's everything we need to do today," he said softly.

"Thank you Gornuk," Harry said, a little more brightly. "You've been a big help and I appreciate it."

"Yes, Gornuk, I want to thank you too," Ginny said. "You've been wonderful to work with and I hope we will see you in the future."

"It has been my pleasure, and if you ever need anything here, just ask for me and I'll be glad to assist you," Gornuk said, as he rose.

As they started to leave, Ginny turned to Gornuk, "Excuse me, can you explain how you knew we'd be coming in and why?"

"Certainly, we goblins have our own ways of recording bonds and when you two bonded it was recorded in our records. It was only a matter of time till you and Mr. Potter came in to get you listed on his accounts," Gornuk said with a smile.

"If you need to access either of your vaults, just let one of the tellers know and someone will accompany you down in a cart," Gornuk said with a bow. "Here I must bid you good day and may your gold be ever increasing."

Instinctively Harry bowed too, "And so may yours," he said, automatically, without knowing why.

Gornuk's smile widened and he then turned and walked away, leaving Harry, Ginny and Minerva standing in the lobby.

Minerva looked at the two young children, "You two handled yourselves admirably with Gornuk," she said with pride.

"Thank you, Aunt Minnie. We did what we thought was right," Harry explained.

"Aunt Minnie, may we go down to my vault and get some Galleons so we can go shopping?" Harry then asked.

"You can probably just go to a teller and they can give you some and take it from your vault," Minerva explained.

"Really?" he asked.

"Yes Harry, people with accounts may forgo having to travel down to their vaults as long as they have sufficient funds to cover what they are taking from the teller," Minerva told him.

Harry then made his way to the teller and asked for a withdrawal from his account of One Hundred Galleons. The teller asked for Harry's key with which he was able to verify that Harry had sufficient funds available and he proceeded to give him the gold.

As they walked outside, Harry handed Ginny half of the gold, "Here Ginny, I want you to get something for yourself.

Ginny looked wide-eyed at the number of Galleons Harry was handing her. "_I can't take that, Harry,"_ she protested.

"_Yes you can Ginny, what's mine is yours or I should say ours now. Didn't the fact that the goblins were expecting us mean anything to you?" _Harry explained.

Harry felt her indecision, "_Please Ginny," _Harry sent softly. _"It means a lot to me that I can be a good provider for us. To me it's just Galleons, something to use to provide us with things we need or want."_

He felt her relenting and gave her a moment to come to the same conclusion he had, "_Okay, Harry, but I'm not going overboard, we need to be prudent with our money, it's the only way I know," _Ginny said, staring him in the eyes.

"_I wouldn't have it any other way Ginny, remember I grew up without anything new at all, so if we can be comfortable, I think we can afford it," _Harry replied.

They had just started down the steps when Fred and George came up to them, "Hey Harry, why don't you come with us for a little bit, give yourself a break from the little woman," Fred said, merrily.

Ginny eyed him threateningly, "Better watch how you say that! Little woman, indeed!"

"Ah, sorry Ginny, poor choice of words," Fred said contritely.

George saw Ginny idly fingering her wand, looking hard at Fred, "Say Fred, maybe it's time to get going. Come on Harry, let's go."

"Don't worry Ginny, we promise to take good care of him and return him in good working order," Fred said, with a jaunty grin.

Ginny knew this was her chance and silently thanked the Twins for helping her get Harry's present in their own way.

"Okay, boys, but make sure you're back here in one hour, so that I can take Harry around for some things I wish to get him," Minerva said, eyeing the Twins sternly.

"Yes, Aunt Minnie," The Twins said at the same time.

Minerva just shook her head and led Ginny away. "Now where do you want to head to?" she asked with a smile.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Far away up north, the prison guard pushed the food cart lazily down the cell block, pausing at each heavy iron door to slide a food tray through the slot. He hated this part of the job because it brought him in close approximation of the Dementors and even with his Patronus riding on the cart, the chilling atmosphere was hard to take.

As he came up to the next cell, the prisoner was standing in the corner by the front wall, it's bars to close together for him to do much more than slip his hand a short way through, so the guard felt no danger. The ragged man was far enough away from the door to cause any problems.

The guard slipped the tray inside and watched the man closely as he passed, failing to notice the bright look in his eyes, inside the dirty, matted, scraggly haired and bearded man.

Just as he passed, the man's hand shot out, deftly pulling the copy of the Daily Prophet the guard had sticking out of his jacket pocket. So smooth and clean was the pick, the guard didn't feel a thing.

Sirius Black went over and retrieved his tray and sat down and began to eat. He had found that the guard bringing the food around was exceeding lax in his attention to the prisoners, especially if they made no threatening gestures or sudden movements, and he did enjoy reading the paper while he ate.

He was slowly eating his meal, there being no cause to hurry, it just made the rest of the time harder to fill. He was paging through the paper reading everything because he had nothing better to do.

He turned the page and he froze, staring at the picture on the top of page three. He couldn't believe his eyes, thinking he'd finally gone mad after all these years locked up in the most ungodly place on the face of the earth, Azkaban prison.

Black got up and paced around the room, rubbing his eyes fiercely, blinking hard to make sure he was seeing clearly. He then went back and took another look at the picture.

His eyes weren't deceiving him, there, sitting on some red-headed kid's shoulder was the traitor! The one who had sold out his supposed friends, there he was, Wormtail, or if using his given name Peter Pettigrew, the one who had sold out Lily and James to the Dark Lord.

Black's mind began to race, there was the proof that he was innocent, the man he supposedly killed was alive and well. He grabbed the paper and read the article intently, memorizing every detail. The boy's name was Ronald Weasley, probably the son of Arthur and Molly Weasley, who he had known from the Order of the Phoenix.

Though he didn't know them that well, he was at least familiar with them and he knew where to start looking. It was now that he most appreciated the fact that he had been able to retain use of his magic, just enough to be able to transform himself into his Animagus form, Padfoot, the large black dog that he had become so he and the others could accompany Remus Lupin on the nights of the full moon when he transformed.

He was glad that now that the guard had been through to feed the prisoners, the Dementors would be the only ones left on guard. His secret knowledge was that they were blind and couldn't tell when he was transformed. It would give him his chance to escape and seek out his revenge on the man who had not only taken away his life, but also was responsible for the deaths of his dearest friends.

Tonight he would begin his journey, tonight he would start hunting the dirty, yellow coward who should never have been sorted into Gryffindor. Tonight the hunt began.

**XX HP + GW XX**

**A/N: Well, fun developments, Sirius has finally entered the story and knows where to find Pettigrew. **

**Harry has gotten Ginny onto his account, officially tying them together in the eyes of the goblins. Though Ginny really doesn't have any idea how much they actually have, but then again, neither does Harry.**

**As usual, this is the place I ask you all to review.**


	24. Birthday Shopping in Diagon Alley

**Harry and Ginny: A Love Story**

**Chapter 24: Birthday Shopping in Diagon Alley **

The Twins hustled Harry away, not wanting to stay under the scrutiny of Aunt Minnie any longer than necessary, plus there was the fact that Ginny had that look in her eye that said she just might be tempted to use her favourite spell, the dreaded Bat-Bogy Hex.

Both had been on the receiving end on a couple of occasions and neither wanted to repeat that ordeal. They really wished that Bill hadn't taught it to her before he left for Egypt, but there was no changing that now, all they could do was try to stay in their sister's good graces.

Harry was rather happy to be able to get away from Ginny for a little while, he figured this was as good a time as any to buy her birthday present. "Hey guys, do you mind if we do a little shopping, I'd like to get Ginny's birthday present without her knowing."

"Did you have anything in mind?" George asked.

"I'd really like to get her something nice, something special, but I'm not sure exactly what," Harry said thoughtfully.

"Hummm, how about some sort of jewellery?" Fred offered.

"Yeah, since you two just Bonded, it might be nice to give her a token of your undying love," George said, teasing Harry a little.

Harry blushed, but actually thought that George had given him a great suggestion. "Were can I get something like that?" he asked lowly.

"We know just the place, come on," said Fred, grabbing Harry's arm and leading him off.

George took ahold of Harry's other arm, "Trust us, Harry, you'll love this place."

Harry was a little uncertain, knowing the Twin's, he wondered just how legitimate the place they were taking him was. To his surprise, they proceeded to a nice little jewellery store on a small side street. The faded sign above the door read "Wallenda's Fine Jewellery" in gold letters with "Bought and Sold" underneath in smaller red letters.

As they entered the store, an old-fashioned bell hanging at the door chimed out. A dapper elderly wizard came out of the back, his face breaking into a smile as he saw Fred and George.

Harry was quite certain that he saw Fred give an almost imperceptible shake of his head and the man casually turned his attention to Harry. "May I help you?" he asked, quite genially.

"I'm looking for a special present for my, ah betrothed," Harry said hesitantly.

"Ah, a Betrothal Gift," the man said with a smile, "must be some special young lady if you are betrothed so young."

"Well, she is certainly very special," Harry said softly, blushing slightly.

"Then you need to get her something just a special," the Jeweller said. "Pardon me, I have been remiss, my name is Karl," he added. "Now, let's see, it's probably too early for a ring, so my suggestion would be some type of necklace."

Harry agreed with Karl, a necklace of some type would be perfect. He nodded and said, "I think that would be perfect for what I had in mind."

Karl led Harry over to a display case that was filled with a myriad of necklaces, and at first nothing caught his eye. They were all fine pieces, but nothing screamed that it was what he was looking for.

When Karl noticed the look on Harry's face, he smiled and said "A man of discriminating taste, I see." He reached underneath and pulled out a tray with more necklaces on it and immediately Harry's eyes were drawn to a certain piece, or pieces to be more accurate.

There was a pair of necklaces, that together formed a full heart, one was on a chain that was obviously for a woman and the other just as obviously for a man. Unbelievably, the man's was set with a stunning Ruby and the woman's with an equally stunning Emerald.

"May I see those," Harry said, pointing to the pair.

Karl smiled at him as he took the pair of necklaces from the tray and placed them on a velvet cushion. Harry picked up each in turn, looking them over carefully. Engraved on the obverse was "Heart of My Heart, without you I am not whole, together we can conquer anything. Love," and there was a blank space. As Harry handled them he felt a small electric type current, a humming or some type of vibration, very lowly, but it was there none the less.

"I'll take these," he said, resolutely.

"A very fine choice, and a very unusual pair they are. They came from an estate up in Scotland, quite ancient in manufacture. Then there is the fact that they appear to be unused, as there are no names engraved upon them. A very curious fact, wouldn't you agree?" Karl said as he looked at Harry.

Harry could only nod, his thoughts focused on getting the necklaces, "Could I get them engraved?" he asked.

"Certainly, I'll just need the names and I can have done for you in a moment."

"Harry, for the Emerald and Ginevra, for the Ruby," Harry said softly, not wanting the Twins, who were looking around nearby, to overhear.

"I'll be right back," Karl said.

He went into the back with the necklaces and returned in a few minutes, handing them to Harry so he could inspect them. If Harry hadn't seen them before, he would have thought that the names had been engraved at the same time as the rest. "They look wonderful," he said to Karl.

"They're also said to posses a special charm, that will whisk the wearer of one to the other no matter where they might be. It is supposed to work through any type of blocking spell or ward, the wearer only having to grasp his or hers in their hand and wish to be with the wearer of the other, though I never verified that. They needed to be personalized and given as a token of love for the spell to work," Karl said, pointedly.

Harry wasn't sure if that would be necessary with his and Ginny's Bond, but the fact it was supposed to work through any type of guarding spell or ward comforted him.

Harry paid for the necklaces and he and the Twins headed back out to the main part of Diagon Alley. The more he thought about it, the more he wondered if the necklaces shouldn't be a special gift for their Bonding and not for Ginny's birthday. He knew she loved flying and he decided that he'd go look at brooms and see if he couldn't find one that Ginny would like.

"Hey guys, what do you say we head over to Quality Quidditch?" Harry said with a smile.

Since both Fred and George loved Quidditch, they had no objections and they started down the street towards the Quidditch shop. There was the usual crowd gathered at the window, staring longingly at the newest broom on the market that was prominently displayed in the window.

A huge sign hung above the broom saying "The Firebolt, the fastest broom on the planet."

Harry smiled and he just knew he had to get one for Ginny. She never had a broom of her own before, using either Bill's or Charlie's old brooms, unless she could sneak Percy's or one of the Twins' out of the shed when no one was looking.

Fred and George could see the bright look in Harry's eyes and knew what was coming. Shaking their heads at one another, they smiled and helped Harry make his way through the crowd.

A very harassed looking clerk was behind the counter, she was having a hard time serving the paying customers because of all the gawkers that filled the shop to overflowing.

Harry waited patiently for his turn in line, the Twins having gone off to look at the latest in Beaters gear. Finely it was Harry's turn, "How much for the Firebolt?" he asked.

The clerk eyed him menacingly, "Did you wait in line just to bother me with a question about the damn Firebolt?" she said, a bit tensely.

"No," Harry replied, not backing down, "I'm interested in buying one but I wish to know the price first."

The clerks looked changed from menacing to one of appraisal, "Are you sure you can afford one?" she asked, but much more neutrally.

"I assure you it is not a problem when it comes to Galleons," Harry replied, looking around for the store manager.

The clerk seemed to sense Harry's mood and intent, "Well then I can see no difficulty then," she said, apologetically, "the Firebolt is only 500 Galleons, but since you are the first to buy one there is a 15 percent discount."

"Do I need to pay in cash or can some other arrangement be made?" Harry inquired.

"Well if you have your Gringott's key, we can have the number recorded and the funds will transfer automatically," the clerk said hopefully, selling a Firebolt would earn her a rather large commission.

Harry smiled as he pulled his key from his pocket and handed it to the clerk. She impressed it on the sales receipt and after a moment when it flashed green, she smiled back.

"All done, I'll be right back with your new broom," the clerk said, as she headed towards the back.

"Can you wrap it some way?" Harry inquired.

"Of course, would you like it shrunk to surprise the recipient?"

"That would be wonderful," said Harry, grinning.

The clerk was gone for several minutes and when she returned she had a rather modest bag in her hand. "All you need to do is tap the broom twice with a wand and it will resize itself," she explained.

Harry walked away from the counter and went looking for the Twins. He was behind a display when he heard the familiar drawl of the student he most hated in all of Hogwarts.

"Father, I'm happy that you're going to supply the team with new Firebolts, there's no way we'll lose this year," said Draco Malfoy.

"Hush Draco, learn to keep your mouth shut in public," he heard a man retort harshly.

Harry peeked around the edge of the display and looked to where he had heard the voices coming from. Standing there with his back to him was none other than Draco Malfoy with a man who could only be his father, their hair was almost identical in colour and style.

The clerk came over and said, "May I help you sir?"

"I'd like to see the manager," he said, disdainfully, obviously not wanting to deal with a lowly clerk.

"One moment," the clerk said, frowning as she turned away.

In moments a large rather portly man came out from the back, "Ah, Mr. Malfoy, how good to see you," he said, offering his hand.

Lucius Malfoy looked at the man's hand as if he were being offered some noxious substance, but after a moment, he quickly shook the man's hand but let go almost immediately.

"What can I do for you?" the manager asked.

"I understand that you have seven Firebolts in stock, I wish to buy them," Lucius stated.

The manager frowned, "I'm sorry, we no longer have seven of them in stock," he said apologetically.

Lucius looked like he had swallowed some vile tasting potion, "What's that you say? I explicitly asked the other day by owl if you had them and I received a reply stating that you did," he said, indignantly.

"At that time we did, but you made no reference to buying them, left no deposit. I afraid in the mean time one has been sold. Do you wish to purchase the other six?" the manager asked, his face taking on a look of annoyance.

"I need seven," Lucius replied. "When will you be getting any more?"

"I'm sorry, because it is a new broom and there is a broom twig shortage due to a blight in Norway, we will not be receiving any more till Christmas," the manager replied.

"That won't do," Lucius said, disgustingly, "that won't do at all. Isn't there some way to get a seventh Firebolt?"

"No, I'm sorry," the manager said, not sounding sorry at all. "The factory was quite clear that with having to fill the orders for the Professional Teams, no more will be available till Christmas."

Draco interrupted, "Couldn't you get the Keeper a Nimbus or Cleansweep?"

Lucius eyed Draco malevolently, "No!," he stated emphatically, "The deal was seven Firebolts. Now stay quiet Draco! Isn't there anything you can do," Lucius said, turning back to the manager and rattling his money pouch.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Malfoy, I don't care how many Galleons you offer, there just isn't another Firebolt available," the manager said, quite offended.

With an indignant huff, Lucius turned away, grabbing Draco by the shoulder forcibly and marched off saying, "Looks like there will be no Quidditch for you this year, Draco. If you would have beaten Potter and Gryffindor, you would have retained your position on the team. "

Harry couldn't help but smile, by buying Ginny the broom he had inadvertently foiled the Malfoy's plan to buy Draco's way back onto the Slytherin Quidditch team.

"Well done, Harry," he heard right behind him, causing him to jump a little.

"Yeah," agreed George, "It must have been fate that you were able to thwart Lucius Malfoy's plan to buy Draco's way onto the team again this year."

Though he hadn't planned it, Harry couldn't have been more pleased than if her had. "Come on you two," he said, with a grin, "time we got back to meet Aunt Minnie."

The Twins clapped him on his back and with one on each side, they exited the Quidditch store and headed back towards their rendezvous with the others.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Ginny headed off with Molly and Minerva, while Hermione and Ron, headed to Flourish & Blotts, Hermione wanting to see if she could find any books that had information on Bondings.

Ginny was still in a quandary, not having any idea of what to buy Harry for his birthday. She now had ample funds since Harry had given her the Fifty Galleons, and all she needed now was something special to spend them on.

They were passing several new shops and one caught Ginny's eye, "Cadwell's Magical Photographs and Portraits, but what had caught her eye was a sign announcing a new Pensieve Process.

The two older witches looked on slightly amused at Ginny as she stared at the store. "Would you like to go in and look around?" Molly asked.

Ginny's eyes lit up, "Yes, I think that sounds wonderful," she replied.

The proprietor was busy with a customer as they entered, but he smiled genially and said, Please look around, I'll be with you in a few moments," before he turned back to the woman he was waiting on.

Ginny wandered the shop looking at all sorts of different frames and portrait styles. She found one that really caught her attention. It was a double frame, hinged in the middle and one one side it had a picture of a young couple that must have just gotten married, and on the other side was one just of they bride.

Next to it was a duplicate frame but with much less formal pictures, but it gave Ginny an idea. She continued to look around till the woman left and the man went up to Molly and Minerva and said, "How may I help you?"

Molly smiled and pointed at Ginny, saying, "I believe you need to talk to my daughter."

The man smiled and came over to Ginny, "Well young lady, how may I be of service?"

"I'd like to get something like this," she said, pointing at the double frame. "I'd like one of just me one the one side and I was hoping to persuade my mother or my aunt to supply the image for the other side by using the Pensieve method. Could you tell me how much that would cost?"

The man smiled, "With me taking your photograph and using an image from one the ladies, it would come to 25 Galleons," he said pleasantly.

"Splendid," Ginny said, "though I didn't come dressed to get photographed."

"That isn't a problem, I have a number of different dresses and formal robes that you can choose from for your photograph."

Ginny smiled brightly, "Brilliant," she said, happily. She then went over to where Molly and Minerva were looking at some of the work on display and asked, "Do either of you have a good memory of Harry and me together?"

Molly smiled at her daughter, "I think I have one or two that you'll like."

"Wonderful," said the proprietor, "By the way, my name is Jonathan. Why don't you come this way and we'll get the memory photograph out of the way first."

He led them to a small room off to the one side at the back of the shop, inside was a rather large complicated looking machine, that had a Pensieve at one end. "Do you know how to extract the memories or do you wish me to do it?" he ask.

Molly looked thoughtful for a moment and said, "Why don't you do it, that way I can concentrate harder on the memories."

"Okay, let me know when you're ready," he replied.

Molly concentrated very hard on two of her best memories of pair together, and when she had them firmly placed in her mind, she nodded.

Jonathan took his wand, placing it a Molly temple and extracted a long smoky, silvery strand. He placed it gently in the Pensieve, he then gave the Pensieve a tap with his wand and an image floated out of the bowl.

The first was of Harry and Ginny sitting in the parlour, laughing and giggling at something. Ginny watched it for a moment, and though nice, it wasn't what she really had in mind. She shook her head, "are there any more?" she asked.

When Molly nodded, Jonathan tapped the Pensieve with his wand and the image sank back down, only to be replaced with another image. Ginny smiled at what she saw, it was of her and Harry walking toward the Burrow from the direction of the garden. They were hand in hand, exchanging shy smiles and low, soft words.

Ginny remembered the incident clearly, she and Harry had spent some time together and were just having a wonderful time talking and being with one another. They were heading back to the Burrow for lunch and it was such a nice, warm, wonderful moment that they had shared.

"This one," she whispered.

Jonathan said, "I agree, it's a very special moment, you two look so good together, almost as if you were years older and falling in love." He then tapped the Pensieve again but also the machine, which began to whirl and hum.

"Right, that takes care of that, now on to the photograph of you." He led them back out and to another room which was set up as a photography studio. Along the wall to the right of the door were several racks holding a myriad of different suits, robes and dresses.

"Have a gander at the garments and see if there is anything you like, there is a changing room just over there," he said pointing at a couple of doors on the side wall. "Don't worry too much about fit, we can change that in a jiffy."

Molly and Minerva watched in interest as Ginny went down the rack, looking at several different dresses, before she pulled one out. It was a beautiful white dress, just made for a young girl like herself. It's neckline was modest and edged in lace, that trailed down across the bodice, the skirt part was pleated with a medium wide pleat and the bottom was edged in the same lace as the neckline. The dress fell to mid calf and looked simple fabulous to Ginny.

Smiling at her mother and Minerva, she went to the changing room and tried it on. Surprisingly it fit very well, just slightly loose at the waist. Ginny was ecstatic about how she looked in the mirror.

She stepped out of the dressing room and everyone's eyes turned toward her. For a moment she was worried because no one said anything, but then Minerva said, "Ginny, you look simply beautiful in that dress."

"Yes," agreed Molly, her eyes bright with her eyes watering at how wonderful her daughter looked.

Jonathan smiled, "Do you wish to sit for a formal picture or something a bit more casual?"

"Casual," Ginny replied.

In the area in front of the camera, Jonathan conjured a meadow, abloom with small beautiful flowers, the wall transformed into the meadow fading off into a forest in the background of dark pine trees that would make Ginny stand out in front of them.

Molly went and pulled her wand, conjuring a wreath of flowers in Ginny's hair, they where of white and yellow, standing out in her flaming red tresses.

"Fabulous," breathed Jonathan, "simply fabulous."

Ginny stepped into the meadow, feeling the grass with her bare feet, if she hadn't know she was in a studio, she would have been sure it was the real thing."

Jonathan quickly took several photographs of Ginny, as she moved around in the meadow as Molly and Minerva watched, smiles on their faces at how pure and innocent Ginny looked.

It took about a half hour before Jonathan was satisfied that he had plenty of shots for Ginny to choose from. Ginny was elated, she just knew that she'd find the perfect shot for the picture frame for Harry's gift. She went and changed while Jonathan quickly set about printing out the proofs for her to look at.

Ginny took one last look at herself in the mirror of the dressing room, before she changed back into her own clothes. She vowed to herself to find a dress similar so that she could let Harry see her in it for real.

When she emerged, she, Molly and Minerva when back out front where they found a beaming Jonathan waiting for them. He spread out the proofs on the counter for them to see.

Molly thought that any one of them would be suitable, but there was one that stood out from all the rest. It was a simple one of Ginny looking straight at the camera as if she was walking towards it. She had such a beautiful look on her face and an almost ethereal glow about her that just shouted her beauty and innocence. All of them agreed that it was the obvious choice.

In no time Jonathan had both photographs mounted in the frame and the three women looked at it and smiled. They all knew that Harry would love the pictures and the loving thought that went into the gift.

"Thank you," Ginny said, "you surpassed my expectations with this," as she pointed at the framed photographs.

"It was my pleasure, but it was all you my dear, I simply recorded what was there," he replied with a smile.

Ginny smiled shyly and blushed at the compliment. She paid for her purchase and with one last thank you they departed, Jonathan imploring them to come back any time.

**XX HP + GW XX**

As Harry and the Twins were making their way back, Harry could feel how excited and pleased Ginny was. Whatever she was doing, it was obviously going well.

Harry considered their link for a few moments and was actually glad that he could feel her emotions and talk to her, but not share their thoughts, he didn't think he could have stood not having any privacy at all. How would he have been able to keep her presents secret?

They were just starting to ascend the stairs when they saw the others congregating at the top. Ron looked happy and he was carrying a couple of packages, one from Honeydukes and one from Quality Quidditch Supply.

Hermione also looked quite pleased too, she was carrying a bag from Flourish & Blotts, so she must have found a book she was looking for.

As Harry looked at Ginny, she looked positively radiant. Whatever she had been doing must have really turned out well. The emotions flowing off of her were almost overwhelming, such was her elation.

Ginny was feeling almost the exact same thing from Harry, he was exceedingly pleased with what he had accomplished too. She wondered briefly what he had been up to and thought that maybe he had been birthday shopping like she had. Her birthday being less than two weeks after his.

It really didn't matter to her, she was just happy about her gift and whatever was making Harry happy only contributed to the emotional high she was feeling.

Once they were all back together, the parties mixed and set out once again, Harry and Ginny went with Minerva, though the rest decided to head back to the Burrow.

Ron was tired already of walking around and Hermione had harped on him not to spend all his money at once and on frivolous things. Hermione was eager to get back so she could start reading her book and see if she could garner any more information on bonds.

Harry was sure the Twins had made a stop at Zonko's before meeting up with him, Ginny and Aunt Minnie, so they wanted to get back and secret their stuff away before it could be discovered and confiscated.

Molly wanted to get back to start lunch and make sure the twins didn't level the place by being unsupervised. She knew all too well the trouble they could get into if left alone.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Minerva took Harry and Ginny to a couple of places, she had wanted to treat Harry with some nice gifts so that he could have some nice things to call his own. They had already gotten him new clothing that actually fit him and he had been so happy about it, that she wanted to further show him what a normal boy growing up could expect.

It was while walking along that Minerva notice Harry squinting at times as if he was having a hard time reading certain advertisements and the smaller print. "Harry are you having a hard time reading some of the words on the signs?" she asked him, keeping her tone upbeat.

Ginny immediately felt his mood change, but she felt it wasn't as dark and embarrassed as it had been in the past.

Almost apologetically Harry replied, "Just a little Aunt Minnie, really it's not to bad."

Minerva got an almost disgusted look on her face and Ginny felt Harry cringing mentally. She squeezed his hand in support and sent "_Harry, she only wants what's best for you. She's not angry, really. You just have to learn that she and my parents want to know about these things because they are easily fixed."_

"_I know you're right Ginny, it's just that I can't seem to help myself. I'm sorry to be such a bother," _Harry replied.

Minerva could see Harry and Ginny staring at one another and she knew that Ginny had to be talking to him, and she just hoped it was to convince him that needing new glasses wasn't a crime or major inconvenience and certainly not something to be worried over what the cost was going to be.

"I'm sorry, Aunt Minnie," Harry said, "I know I shouldn't worry about things like this but it's hard after all the time I spent with my Aunt and Uncle."

"I know, Harry," she said with a smile, "We will all just have to be patient till you get past this. I shouldn't over react either, and I want to apologize to you for doing so."

Ginny actually snickered some and they all shared a quiet laugh, "Okay, now that we got that over with, lets see about getting you some new glasses," Minerva said with a smile.

She led them down the street to Ogelby's Outstanding Ocular Paraphernalia and went inside. The gentleman behind the counter had a very owlish look about him, further enhanced by the large round glasses that he wore that magnified his eyes to several times their normal size.

"How may I help you?" he asked, staring at the three of them intently.

"My nephew her needs to have his eyes examined and have new glasses made," Minerva said, taking charge quickly.

The owlish man smiled, "Well we can certainly fix him up in a jiffy. The name is Clyde B. Ogelsby, at your service."

Both Harry and Ginny were trying very hard to stifle their laughter. The man's actions seemed very owlish too, with him bobbing his head in a very good imitation of what Hedwig and other owls when they were spoken to.

He had Harry enter the back room, with Ginny and Minerva following behind. Ginny was quite curious how someone was fitted for glasses as she had never seen it done before. Even Harry was curious how the exam would differ from a muggle one.

The instrument that he placed in front of Harry's face was very similar to the one used by muggle Ophthalmologists but instead of the man flipping and turning various lenses, Clyde just told Harry to keep his eyes on the chart on the far wall, before tapping to machine with his wand.

Harry heard it click and whirl for several moments as different lenses seemed to flash before his eyes, and before he could even move or cry out in surprise, the machine stopped and Harry could read the chart quite clearly, far better than he had ever been able to before.

Clyde was bobbing around, humming and making odd hooting like noises, or so it seemed to Harry and Ginny, as he read off certain numbers from the machine.

He deftly swung it out of the way and said, "Well, that's that, back out front now."

They made their way out to the store front, where Harry looked a what seemed like a hundred pair of glasses and in the end he picked out new frames that were nearly identical to his old ones.

The plus side was when Clyde produced the lenses he put unbreakable and unscratchable charms on them, something that Harry thought would be a godsend. He couldn't remember the number of times he had broken his glasses before, though on further thought, most of them had been because of some type of involvement, associated with his cousin chasing him or beating him up.

It took a-+ very short time indeed for Harry's new glasses to be ready and as a bonus Minerva bought an extra pair just in case the first got misplaced of damaged, though that would really take some doing now with the charms that were placed on them.

It was as they were leaving that Harry's stomach growl out loudly, causing Ginny to laugh at him, Minerva to smile and Harry to feel extremely embarrassed. It was decided to head back to the Burrow for today and that they would go shopping some other day.

Harry couldn't believe how much better he could see, everything seemed that much clearer and brighter and he spent most of the time walking back to the Leaky Cauldron staring in wonder at the things he hadn't noticed before.

It was a very happy group that returned to the Burrow, just in time for lunch. Molly greeted them all with huge bone crushing hugs and was glad they were back in time for lunch. Harry and Ginny both hurried up to their rooms to put away the gifts they had bought, before hurrying back down to join the others at the table to enjoy the fine meal Molly had prepared.

**XX HP + GW XX**

**A/N: Ah, gift buying, and new stuff, love between Harry and Ginny with the bonus of thwarting Malfoy, what more could you ask for? **

**Don't answer that, It'll just mean more work of me. Oh well, if you insist, but remember, I guarantee nothing! Does anyone know who was the real Karl Wallenda was?  
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**As always please review.**


	25. Mysteries of the Heart

**Harry and Ginny: A Love Story**

**Chapter 25: Mysteries of the Heart **

The next couple of weeks passed quickly, or so it seemed to Harry. He was still unsure of when to present his special present to Ginny and he had been agonizing over it since the day they returned with it from Diagon Alley.

Ginny was well aware of Harry's inner struggle, but had decided to see how long it would take Harry to come to terms with it and talk to her.

At first it had been very easy, or relatively so, to act like nothing was amiss, but as the days slid by, it became more and more difficult to do so. It was the day before Harry's birthday when Ginny had finally had enough of Harry's anxiety. It was really starting to get on her nerves and she wanted the issue resolved before his birthday so she wouldn't have to worry about it then.

She had steered him out into the back garden after breakfast to have a talk with him and confront him about his growing anxiety.

They sat down on the bench under the large old oak tree, its wide branches providing a wide area of shade that helped cool the hot July sun.

Ginny took a deep breath and looked Harry in the eyes. "Okay Harry, we need to have a talk," she said, a bit sternly. She saw his eyes widen in surprise, and his anxiety level rise by quite a bit.

"Calm down, Harry," she said, a lot more gently. "I know something has been bothering you ever since we went shopping in Diagon Alley and it's really becoming bothersome. We need to talk about whatever it is so we can get past it. Is there something I've done to upset you or anything?"

Ginny felt his anxiety flare even harder. "No!" he all but shouted out. He then looked quite embarrassed, blushing and dropping his gaze from hers.

Ginny saw him take a deep breath, and glance back up into her eyes. Dropping his gaze again quickly, he began to fidget in his seat. She could feel his turmoil and her heart ached for his discomfort. Gently she reached out and caressed his cheek, slowly bringing his eyes back to to hers.

"Just tell me what's wrong. I can't help if I don't know what's bothering you?" she implored softly.

It took a moment, but Harry nodded and reached into his pocket and pulled out the small package he had been carrying around for several days, hoping to build up enough nerve to give it to Ginny.

"I ah, hem," he cleared his throat, which threatened to close, cutting off his power of speech. "I ah, got something for you, well us!" he said hesitantly. "I first thought of it for your birthday, but because of. . . well you'll see, I thought it would be more appropriate for some other type of gift."

He slowly handed her the small box, as if unsure what she was going to think about it. Deep down, his mind was sure she'd love the present, but for some reason, his upper consciousness refused to believe it.

Ginny stared at the small, well wrapped present, trying to figure out what Harry could have gotten that was causing such a dilemma for him. Taking a quick glance at him, which revealed nothing to her, she felt his anxiety, it was as high as she had felt it since the shopping trip.

She slowly pulled the ribbon of the bow, untying it, in what Harry thought was an agonizingly slow process, finally having it pop free.

Chancing another look at Harry, she saw him staring at her hands holding the package. She turned her attention back to it and carefully unwrapped the paper that the box was wrapped in. She was surprised by the black velvet box that the present had contained and looked questioningly at her Bond-mate.

"What have you gotten?" she whispered softly.

She saw him blush, and she thought he looked every so cute as he held his breath in anticipation of her opening the gift.

She gently pried the the box open and her face froze in surprise at what she beheld. There, slightly apart in the box were the two halves of the heart and she understood immediately what they were. If she wasn't mistaken, Harry had presented her, and him Bonding necklaces. They were supposed to be quite rare and the last known one made had been over a century ago.

"Harry, they're beautiful," she breathed huskily, her emotions getting the better of her. She quickly turned them over and read the inscription on the obverse of the heart halves. She felt tears coming to her eyes, but she could feel Harry's understanding that they weren't tears of sorrow, but tears of joy.

Not being able to help himself, he said, "So you like them?" he asked tentatively.

Ginny smiled through her tears, "Yes, you prat, I like them quite a lot. She handed him his to put on her, which he did with a smile, his anxiety evaporating now that he knew that she loved the gift.

As soon as he was done, she put hers on him, feeling his elation as she did so. Harry explained what the Jeweller had told him about where they came from and the magical property they were said to possess.

He finished by saying, "I first thought of giving them to you as a birthday gift, but since they were really for the both of us, I decided to give them as a Bonding, or Betrothal gift."

Ginny hugged him hard, almost knocking him over in the bench as she did so. "Why were you so worried about giving them to me?" she asked, in disbelief.

Harry just shrugged, "I'm not really sure," he said, softly, "I guess I'm just not use to the idea of gifts and things."

Ginny hugged him again, and then gave him as quick kiss, "Well you'd better get use to it, though we don't have many Galleons our family has always found a way to give people gifts on the proper occasions."

Harry's heart swelled with the love he was feeling, not only from Ginny through the Bind, but also from the other members for his growing extended family, that included the Weasleys, Aunt Minnie, Aunt Poppy, plus the others that seemed determined to protect him and keep him safe. To him, it was the best gift, besides Bonding with Ginny, that he had ever received.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Dumbledore just about had all his plans set for spiriting Harry away from his birthday party the following evening. Mundungus had been able to recruit some locals in need of a few Galleons to create the diversion and all he needed to do now, was have a little talk with Tonks and all would be set.

Smiling, in spite of himself, Albus, he got up and prepared to Floo to the Ministry for a discrete little talk to the young Auror. He had his alibi all set, he would be attending a meeting of the Confederation of Wizards governing committee. With him being the Head Mugwump, he was able to set the time and place of the meeting, so that was easily arranged.

He made his way through the Atrium of the Ministry with no problem, heading for the lifts. It wouldn't take more than a few minutes of his time to convince Tonks to be at the right place at the right time to insure that all went well. They poor girl wouldn't even know she was part of the plot to kidnap Harry.

He had no problem in finding Tonks in the MLE department and casting a couple of quick privacy spells he approached the young Auror. "Ah, Auror Tonks, may I have a quick word with you?" he asked, smiling sweetly.

Right away Tonks was on guard, sensing that Albus was trying to pull something with her assistance. Keeping her smile on her face she replied, "What can I help you with Professor Dumbledore?"

Glancing around, like he didn't want to be overheard, he said "It has come to my attention that there is going to be an attempt to snatch Harry from his birthday party at the Weasley's tomorrow night."

Tonks perked up, wondering where this was leading.

"Unfortunately, I can not attend due to a meeting of the Confederation of Wizards, so I was wondering if I could request your assistance in guarding Harry," the old wizard asked, cagily.

"How did you find out about this kidnapping and why aren't you going through channels?" she asked shrewdly.

"I have some sources of information from, shall we say some people of less than stellar repute. I would be compelled to disclose them if I made a formal request, something I wish to avoid as cultivating a replacement would be very difficult and time consuming," Dumbledore explained.

"So what do you want from me?" Tonks then asked.

"I was hoping to convince you to be nearby and take charge of Harry's safety should the attempt be made," he replied.

"What do you mean, if the attempt is made?"

"Well one never is one hundred percent secure in knowing the validity of these tips, considering the source," Albus said, offhandedly.

"Who would want to do such a thing?" Tonks asked.

"My sources say it is followers of He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named," Albus said, dropping his voice further as if he was divulging a great secret.

Tonks was thinking to herself, "Yeah and a cagey old fool of a wizard who wants Harry back under his control."

Tonks pretended to think about Albus' request for several moments, like she wasn't sure she would do it. She could see the normally cool, staid Headmaster actually looking a little worried that she was going to refuse.

"I'll do it, and I think I can even waggle an invitation to the party if I play my cards right," said Tonks, watching the look of relief that passed momentarily over his face.

"Splendid," Albus said with a smile. All the pieces were now in place. "If anything unusual happens at all, I want to to get Harry out of there and to safety. If you could get him to Hogsmeade where I'll have Hagrid waiting to escort him to his hut on the school grounds, he'll be safe there."

"Yeah right!" Tonks said to herself, "Okay, sounds good to me," she said as she looked at the old Wizard. She felt the gentlest of probes to her mind, luckily her Auror training made her very resistant to Legilimency. The probing quickly ended and she gave no indication that she had been aware of the delicate attempt to probe her mind.

"Thank you, Auror Tonks, I'm confident that Harry's safety is assured then," Albus said, with a small smile. With a quick nod he took his leave, deftly cancelling the privacy spells he had cast.

Tonks watched him go and made herself wait five minutes after he was gone, before she went to Shacklebolt's office. "Hey, King, I've got a lead to run down, I'll be out of the office for a while, okay?" she said.

Kingsley was immersed in paperwork and barely looking up, he said, "Sure, see ya later," before he was back to reading the report in his hands.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Hermione had spent a lot of her free time since buying the huge tome from Flourish and Blotts reading through it. Even for her it was a monumental task.

She had tried just skimming through the first section that listed many of the pairs of Bond-mates through the centuries, but she found the history of them fascinating and kept getting sucked into reading all of them.

She was slogging her way through, making copious notes as she went, just as if it were a text for some class at Hogwarts, something that Ron had questioned early on but when all he received was a baleful glare, he had learned to keep his mouth shut.

But even Hermione would succumb to the call of the outdoors with it's warm summer weather and she would join the others for some fun. Sometimes swimming in the pond, or watching the others play Quidditch, as she was very reluctant to ride a broom, earning her many a comment about her being a true witch, but she refused to relent and join them in the air.

She had never told anyone her real reason for hating to ride on a broom. It was when she had been fairly young, about five or six, when she had been climbing in a tree in her backyard, against the rules of her parents, and she had fallen.

Luckily she hadn't gotten hurt, probably due to her latent magical abilities, that were unknown at the time, but besides scaring her most horribly, the lambasting she had gotten from her terrified parents, had made her forswear anything that had to do with heights where she could fall and potentially get hurt.

Every since that day, she had never gone against the promise she had made to her parents, and she probably never would.

She had watched Ginny drag Harry from the kitchen and wondered what was up. She could tell Harry was worried about something, but she had no idea about what. Well, she figured that was Ginny's problem and she decided to go get the book she was reading and sit out on the porch to do some more reading.

It was just as she was finishing up the one chapter on the effects of bonding that she found the interesting bit of information that stated that Bonded couples shared an emotional as well as a physical connection in their minds. This explained to her why Harry seemed so in tune with Ginny.

She was also surprised to learn that no formal Bonding ceremony was necessary, that once one of them reached majority, they would become bonded, as long as the other was within a year or so of age.

Then she came to the information abut how the Bond virtually guaranteed that the Bonded couple would have no desire to consummate the relationship till they were totally Bonded.

This explained to Hermione why Ginny's parents and the other adults were willing to let them sleep together.

Reading further, she also found out there was very powerful magic to protect the Bond-mates, and especially the female from being raped, explaining that the most dire consequences awaited anyone who tried to violate the young witch. Plus there were similar protections for the young wizard, making sure that both remained virgins until the Bond was completed.

Hermione began to scribble down information quickly, when Ron joined her on the porch and asked what she had found out. She was hesitant to tell him, not knowing how he would react to hearing about the sex-life of his younger sister.

"I'm not sure that you really want to know," she said hesitantly, turning red as she did so.

"Why, Hermione?" Ron whined, wondering what it could be that would make her blush. Then it hit him and his imagination began to run wild and he had images of Harry taking advantage of Ginny, most of them quite crude and vivid.

His colour soon matched Hermione's, his being a combination of his embarrassment and his rising anger.

Hermione sensed Ron's emotional state and he quickly scolded him, "Ronald, they're bonded, there is nothing that you can do to change that," she said forcefully.

"What if I kill him?" Ron asked, quite indignantly.

"They you'd be killing Ginny too. Their fates are now intertwined and their souls are now inseparable. Would you kill Ginny, just to "protect" her?" Hermione said, a bit hotly.

Ron's shoulders slumped, "Of course not," he answered dejectedly.

"Then there isn't a thing you can do about it," she said, still looking at him angrily. "I just don't understand you Ron. Don't you think the adults would separate them if they could?"

"Yeah, I guess so. I really hadn't given it much thought," he replied.

Hermione just rolled her eyes, getting up and heading back inside. Disgusted with Ron for the moment and needing to put some distance between him and her.

Ron remained on the porch bench, thinking about all that Hermione had said. He realized she was right, why hadn't he thought that the adults would have done something if they had been able. Was he so single minded that he hadn't even considered anything else? That question and others that were similar in nature bothered him as he sat contemplating the situation.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Fred and George were just finishing up setting up the spells on Percy's door when they heard Hermione coming up the stairs. She stopped several steps down and stared at the Twins for a moment, before continuing her way up to them.

"So what have you done to Percy's door?" she asked with genuine interest.

"Why should we tell you?" Fred asked, warily.

"Because I have more information on Harry's and Ginny's Bonding, for one thing," she replied.

George raised his eyebrows and looked at Fred. He shrugged back and George said, "Come on up to our office."

George proceeded Hermione, with Fred bringing up the rear and Hermione couldn't get the picture of a condemned person being escorted to their execution out of her head, so it was with a wry grin on her face she entered the Twins' bedroom.

"So what prank have you set up on Percy?" she asked, still grinning.

"You really found something out?" George asked.

"Do you think I'd even be here if I hadn't?" she replied.

"Point taken," said Fred.

"We placed a simple hair colouring spell on our dear brother's door," Fred answered with a gleam in his eyes.

"Yeah, and we added our own special twist to it," added George.

"Like what," Hermione asked.

"Well, like it doesn't trip every time you go through," Fred said, grinning.

"Or the same colour, whenever it is triggered," added George, grinning just as widely are before."

"So Percy is going to be having his hair colour keep changing every time he goes through his door?" she asked, giggling in spite of herself.

"Yeah, and the added thing is, there is a time delay from a few minute to about an hour, before it changes," George said, laughing with Fred.

"Sweet Merlin, that's funny," Hermione said, not being able to help herself, as she giggled.

"So what have you found out about the Bond?" Fred asked, smiling at the giggling Hermione.

"I haven't finished reading the book yet, but I have learned that because of the bond, Harry and Ginny are Betrothed, well, in effect married, but the full Bonding won't take place until Harry becomes of age," Hermione said.

Fred and George exchanged looks, "Wonder why when Harry becomes of age and not Ginny?" George said.

"The book only said that it would happen that way if the two people who were bonded were close in age. It also said that their desire to consummate the Bonding would be suppressed until the full Bonding had taken place," she continued.

"Hence the allowing them to sleep together," Fred said.

"Yeah, and it explains why Mum caved so quickly," George replied, with a smug smile.

Hermione nodded in agreement, "The other thing I found out so far is there are powerful magical protections to protect both parties from being raped or taken advantage of, it stressed most highly that the consequences would be severe."

Fred and George exchanged surprised looks, it seemed that the magic of the Bond was extremely powerful and not to be messed with. They wondered if it had any other magical properties that it could manifest if need be.

"Anything else?" asked George.

"No, but I'm only about half way through the book, so who knows what I'll find," said Hermione as she got ready to leave.

George looked questioningly at Hermione, "If you were able to find this book so easily at F & B's, why doesn't it seem like anyone else knows much about the Bonding process, besides what Aunt Poppy knows?"

"Yeah, that's a good question, any thoughts or answers, Hermione?" Fred added.

"As to why others don't know this stuff, I can only guess, but as for finding the book easily, well that's not quite correct. I spent well over two hours digging in the old and rare book room, down in the cellar. I bet hardly anyone looks down there anymore," Hermione said. "I had to cast _Scourgify _twice before I was clean once I came back up to check out."

The Twins just laughed, "We'd have like to seen that," they said.

Hermione just shook her head, and left to put the book away before she needed to head down for lunch. She couldn't help but laugh as Percy came out of his room, heading down to have a quick bite before he headed off for his summer job at the Ministry and she wondered if his hair would end up changing colour later. Living with the Twins was anything but boring.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Dinner that night was a raucous affair, Percy came storming home from the Ministry very upset that someone there had changed his hair to a bright canary yellow and that it had resisted all attempts at returning it to normal, in fact the more someone tried, the worse and worse colour it turned, until it had turned an ugly puce. Percy then had them stop trying and by the end of the day it had returned to its normal colour.

Though several upper Ministry Officials had said that they'd start an investigation into who had pulled such an audacious prank at the Ministry, he had heard them talking later, having a good laugh over the incident.

Percy had eyed the Twins suspiciously but they paid him no mind, not acknowledging his scrutiny at all and even Percy had to admit that he hadn't seen them at all that morning before he left.

**XX HP + GW XX**

It was later that night after Harry and Ginny had retired to Harry's room for the evening, though they hadn't yet gone to sleep. At first they just lay snuggled together, enjoying the wonderful sensation of snuggling with their Bond-mate when Ginny sent a question to Harry, "_Harry, remember how you said that the Jeweller had said that the necklaces were quite ancient, but had never been used?"_

"_Yes, Ginny, I remember, why?" _Harry replied.

"_I don't know, really. It's just something that seems stuck in my head, do you know what I mean?" s_he asked, in reply.

"_Yeah, I know what you mean, I've thought about it too. That plus the fact that they are supposed to possess special magical qualities. It's hard not to."_

Ginny pulled hers out from under the light blanket that covered them, _"Let's see yours too," _she sent.

Harry pulled his out and let Ginny take hold of it. She stared at them for several moments before she gently placed the two halves together. Both of them were astounded to see a brilliant golden light appear down the centre, where the halves touched, it flared once and faded back to a soft glow that encompassed the heart.

"_Greetings Children,"_ they both heard in their heads.

Harry and Ginny exchanged looks, neither knowing what was happening, they had never had something intrude on their mind speaking before.

"_Hello?_" Ginny called out tentatively.

"_Be not afraid, I can do you no harm, even if I wished to, and let me assure you I do not."_

"_Who are you?" _Ginny asked.

"_Lets just say I am sort of a guide," _the voice said.

To Harry and Ginny the voice was a light pleasant woman's voice and it certainly held no animosity. If anything it was a warm, welcoming, comforting voice, a voice that just spoke of love and trust.

"_Do you have a name?" _ Harry asked.

"_My, you are inquisitive, aren't you?" _the voice said, its amusement ringing in its tone. "_Well since you asked, you may call me Arwain."_

"_That's a very beautiful name," _Ginny sent.

"_So is Ginevra," _Arwain said, and just like when they talked to each other, they could tell she was smiling.

Ginny was caught by surprise, _"How do you know my name?" _she asked.

The voice laughed lightly, it was a sweet musical laugh that spoke of amusement, "_Why it's engraved on the back of the heart," _Arwain said, pleasantly.

Ginny blushed, not even thinking about that fact. "_So why are you here to guide us and to what?" _she asked.

"_Direct and to the point, I should have expected that. You two have just taken the first step in learning the Mysteries of the Heart," _Arwain said, once more her voice sounding so welcoming and comforting.

"_The Mysteries of the Heart?" _Harry asked, picturing a guide about love.

"_Not that way, Harry,"_ Arwain said, with a laugh, _"Though along the way, you may learn a great deal about that too."_

"_You can read our thoughts?" _Harry asked in surprise.

"_Not really, but I have centuries of reading emotions so I can tell much more than your average being."_

"_What are you, then? _Ginny asked, perplexed by Arwain's last statement.

"_That I'm afraid is a very complicated subject, that has no easy answer. For the moment I must decline in answering it. Later on, you'll come to know but for now, just accept that I am real, I am here and I am to help you," _Arwain said, as if telling a couple of young children that they were to young to understand.

"_Okay,"_ Harry replied, not really liking it, but he knew that they'd never be able to get Arwain to tell until she was ready. "_Can you tell us where the Heart comes from?"_

"_That I can answer. It was made by Merlin himself and it was made for you two." _Arwain said, benevolently.

"_Merlin made it just for us?" _a shocked Ginny asked.

"_I just said so didn't I? Trust in what I say, I will never lie to you, if you are not ready to receive the answer to your questions I will tell you so, but I will never provide you with false information," _Arwain explained, her voice still soft and pleasant, not the least be angry or upset at having her answer questioned.

Harry and Ginny nodded in understanding, "_You said we had taken the first step, what was that?" _Harry asked.

"_The wearing and joining of the Heart halves. By giving them in Love you have unlocked it and now you will begin your education." said Arwain._

"_Why us?" _Ginny asked, afraid she already knew the answer.

"_You are correct Ginevra, or can I call you Ginny?" _Arwain said.

"_Ginny is fine,"_ she replied, "_and what do you mean I am correct?"_

"_The reason of why you two should be obvious. First because you have Bonded, but more importantly because you two will be called upon to battle for the side of the Light against a Darkness that is growing right at this instant."_

Ginny's heart faltered a little, she had always known the story of The-Boy-Who-Lived, but had hoped that she had been wrong, when she had come to love Harry so deeply.

"_Must it come to that?" _she asked Arwain.

For the first time, Arwain's voice took on a feeling of melancholy, "_I'm afraid so Ginny."_

"_Thank you for telling us, it will make it easier to accept what has to be done," _Ginny said sadly.

"_Be not afraid Ginny, you wouldn't be in this position if there was no chance of succeeding and you will have many allies in the struggle, and a lot of them unlooked for. So please do not despair, it is way to early for that."_

"_Will we need to place the halves together again to talk with you?" _Harry asked.

"_A very good question, Harry, and the answer is no. Now that you have unlocked the Heart, I will be here whenever I am needed or called," _Arwain answered with a smile.

"_Who sent you?" _Ginny asked.

"_No one sent me, Ginny. I came because I was called."_

"_Who called you?" _Ginny asked.

"_Why you two did, of course." _Arwain said with a laugh. "_Well with a question like that, it shows that you two are getting tired. Time for you to go to sleep, we have plenty of time for the moment. So I'll take my leave for now, sleep well, Children."_

Harry and Ginny felt the presence of Arwain retreat from their minds and they looked at each other, neither quite knowing what to say.

"_Well that was interesting," _Harry finally said.

"_Ooh, thanks Mr. Understatement," _Ginny said with a giggle.

"_You think so?" _Harry sent back, grabbing Ginny's hands and holding them over her head.

Ginny thought for a moment Harry was going to tickle her like before, and in reality, that's what Harry had first planned, but something made him stop. His eyes found Ginny's and she suddenly felt his love for her swell to hitherto unreached heights. He slowly leaned down over her and kissed her quite tenderly, releasing her hands as he did so.

Ginny felt a fire stir within her, it was like nothing she had felt before, but it spoke of her love for Harry and she tenderly wrapped her arms around him. She briefly thought that they were very young to be acting and feeling this way, but those thoughts soon vanished from her mind as Harry kept kissing her.

They slowly broke apart, both staring into each others eyes again, they smiled softly, Harry running his hand along Ginny's cheek, tucking her hair back behind her ear.

"I love you Ginny," he whispered.

Ginny felt she would explode with the happiness she was feeling, though they had said so before, it seemed fresh and different now, though if asked she wouldn't have been able to explain why, it just was.

"I love you too, Harry," she whispered back.

She gently pressed Harry down onto the bed and she rested her head on his shoulder, draping her arm across him. She closed her eyes and realized that Harry had too. She felt his love for her as an ever present force that wrapped her in a warm cocoon and that was the last thing she thought about as she drifted off to sleep.

**XX HP + GW XX**

**A/N: Two things intrepid readers, one is from last chapter and I forgot to add it to the Author's Notes. Can anyone identify the real Karl Wallenda?**

**And from this chapter, can anyone tell me where the name Arwain comes from and what does it mean?**

**Other than that, things are progressing along, next chapter should be exciting as Dumbledore tries to kidnap Harry. Any guesses as to whether he succeeds or not? Will Tonks be the dupe? Will you have fires with that? Ah so many questions, so few answers.**

**As always, I humbly beseech you to review.**


	26. Birthday, Part One

**Harry and Ginny: A Love Story**

**Chapter 26: Birthday, Part One**

It was getting quite late before Tonks was able to show up at the Burrow. She had hoped to get there quickly, but fate seemed to intervene, so it wasn't until 10:30 that she approached the door to the Burrow with her news of the attempt to kidnap Harry at his birthday party.

She was glad that the light was still on in the kitchen, showing someone was still up, she would not have wanted to try to decide between waking someone or waiting until the morning.

With a tired sigh, she knocked on the door. It opened in a moment and she was glad of the smile that came to Arthur's face.

"Well, what do we owe the pleasure to for your visit?" he asked, affiably.

"I'm not so sure you'll say pleasure once I explain why I'm here," Tonks replied, as she removed her cloak.

Arthur's face became grave, but he was still showing how glad he was that Tonks had arrived. "Well sit down and let me get Molly. Should we contact anyone else too?" he asked.

"Do you think it's too late to get Minerva here?" Tonks asked.

Arthur smiled, "Why don't you ask her yourself. She's in the parlour with Molly going over the final plans for Harry's party."

"That's one of the things we need to discuss," Tonks said, heading for a chair at the table.

"Oh, forget that, let's just join the ladies in the parlour," Arthur said, with a grin.

Tonks smiled and followed Arthur into the parlour. Since she was a little behind him, she heard Molly ask, "Who was at the door, dear?"

She entered just after Molly had asked her question, and she was happy to see the smiles on Molly's and Minerva's faces.

"Well this is a pleasant surprise, Dora," Molly said, rising and coming over to hug the young Auror. After her welcoming hug she asked, "Tea?

Tonks couldn't help but smile, Molly always got to taking care of everyone first before anything else was handled. "Yes, that would be nice," Tonks replied.

"I'll just freshen the pot. Why don't you sit down and get comfortable. It won't take me but a minute," Molly said, smiling at the young Auror.

Tonks went and sat down near where Molly and Minerva had been sitting. She saw the look that Minerva gave her, a look that spoke of her concern at the lateness of the visit, telling her that whatever Dora wanted to discuss, had to be of relatively important, or she would have waited till tomorrow.

"Hello Dora," Minerva said pleasantly. "How are things at the Ministry?" she asked offhandedly.

"The same," Tonks replied, "To much work, to few people to do it and to many hours working because of it."

Minerva nodded in understanding, Fudge's austerity push was all to well known and it seemed that the MLE was bearing the brunt of the spending cuts, stretching the limited resources of the MLE and by default the Auror's to the limit.

Further conversation was halted by Molly's return with the fresh pot of tea. She quickly served everyone and retook her seat. All eyes in the room then turned to Tonks.

"So what brings you here at this time?" Arthur asked.

"Albus came to see me earlier today," Tonks began. "He asked me to be on watch tomorrow evening at Harry's party because he has received information that someone is going to attempt to kidnap Harry during it."

She watched as Minerva got a very sceptical look on her face, one that was mirrored by Arthur and Molly.

"Do you think there is any validity to this information?" Mineerva asked.

"Well not in the information that Albus gave me, saying that it would be followers of You-Know-Who," she said with a small laugh. "I'm sure there will be an attempt, but I'm sure someone else is behind it."

Minerva nodded in agreement, "It wouldn't be a manipulative old Wizard, who just happens to be the Headmaster of a famous Magical School, would it?"

"Very delicately put, Minerva," Molly said with a smile.

"Yeah, I'm sure it is," Tonks said, with a frown. "He even had the audacity to try to probe my mind at headquarters."

"He didn't?" Arthur said in surprise. "I'm sure your Auror training foiled his attempt?" he added, questioningly.

"Yeah, he got nothing, but to attempt it at the Ministry, I can't believe him," Tonks said, disgustedly.

Arthur just shook his head, a look of disbelief on his face. "He must really be getting desperate," he said lowly.

"That's what I think too, and a desperate person is a dangerous person," Tonks said, fervently.

"Did he have any more concrete information?" Minerva asked.

"Not on the attempt itself, only that he wanted me close by and if an attempt was made to make sure I got Harry to safety. Telling me to get him to Hogsmeade where he'll have Hagrid waiting to get him onto the school's grounds, where he'd be "safe"," Tonks said, emphasizing the word safe, as if she didn't believe it for one moment.

"What are you going to do?" Molly asked.

"Well, I'll definitely be here for Harry's safety, but if he thinks I'm going to deliver him to Hogsmeade, well, let's just say he's more delusional than we think he is already," Tonks said with a grin.

"How can he expect anyone to get through the wards?" Molly asked, frowning as she thought about it.

"Unfortunately, there are people who specialize in that kind of thing and maybe Albus gave them a spell or two to help them out," Tonks said, sadly.

"Well, what are we going to do about it?" Arthur asked.

"Should we move the party to McGonagall castle?" Molly asked.

"No, that would tip him off that Tonks informed us of the plot," Minerva said, thoughtfully.

"We need to come up with some kind of plan to thwart the attempt here, so that Tonks will not have to be revealed," Arthur said.

Minerva looked at Molly, "May I make a floo call?"

"You know you don't need to ask, of course you can," Molly replied.

Minerva went to the floo in the kitchen and they heard her call out "The Hogshead." Then after a brief wait, "Ab, can you come over right away?" Then another pause and finally, "Okay, see you in a minute."

Minerva returned to her seat, "Aberforth will be here in a moment, he should be able to help us out."

Molly rose and went to get another cup for tea and while she was in the kitchen, Aberforth came through the floo. "Good evening Molly, I hope you're well?" he said with a smile.

"I'm fine," Molly replied, "and I'm so glad you could come on such little notice."

"What's up?" Aberforth asked.

"Everyone is in the Parlour, go on in and I'll be right there," Molly replied.

Aberforth went into the parlour and took a look at the people assembled there. "What's he up to now?" he asked with a knowing twisted grin.

"He's going to try and get Harry back under his control tomorrow evening during Harry's party," Minerva said, giving him the synopsis of what they knew.

Once Molly had rejoined them, Tonks went over what Albus had said to her and what he wanted her to do.

Aberforth listened quietly, but intently. Shaking his head he said, "Sounds like my conceited brother, and I'm sure he has an ironclad alibis."

"Yeah, he said the reason he couldn't be here himself was because of a meeting for the Confederation of Wizards," Tonks said.

Ab nodded knowingly, "It helps being the head Mugwump, that way you can call a meeting whenever you want." He looked around at everyone, "Well the first thing is we certainly can't do what Albus wants done." He then looked directly at Tonks, "No matter what happens you can't take Harry to Hogsmeade, no telling if he has a secondary plot to get Harry away from Hagird, and that's if he is going to be there at all."

"So where does that leave us?" Arthur asked.

Aberforth smiled, "Albus isn't the only one who has contacts, so here's what we're going to do. . . ."

**XX HP + GW XX**

Sirius had made good time, he was now at the edges of the Burrow and he could smell that slimy, dirty traitor from where he was when he was down wind.

What puzzled him was the wind also carried the scent of two who reminded him deeply of James and Lily. He knew that couldn't be the case, because he had seen their dead bodies himself, so who they were was a mystery to him.

He smiled to himself at the fact that he had arrived on Harry's birthday, and he wished that he'd be able to capture Wormtail so that he could be a free man again, and doing it on Harry's birthday couldn't please him more.

Sirius skirted the wards, trying to get a good look at the Burrow, it had been a long time since he had visited there. It had been only once during the first war for a meeting of some of the Order of the Phoenix but he knew it like the back of his hand, at least the grounds and the first floor. He had nothing better to do for the last twelve years but to go over every detail of everything in his pre-Azkaban life to keep himself sane.

By searching carefully he had discovered a weak spot in the wards where a small brook entered the property, and come evening, he planned on entering the property so that he could position himself to get Wormtail after everyone had gone to bed.

Feeling better than he had in ages, Sirius found a small secluded spot where he could curl up and rest before he had to move later on. With a smile of satisfaction, he tucked his nose under his tail, falling into a shallow sleep that left part of his dog self aware of his surroundings.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Harry and Ginny awoke and immediately Harry felt Ginny's excitement about the coming day. Though he couldn't get any specifics he knew that Ginny had some special things planned and the thought of that filled him with joy.

"_Hey Birthday Boy, time to get up," _he heard from Ginny.

"_What? Can't I stay in bed all day if I want to?"_ he asked playfully.

"_Sure, but you'll miss a lot of the family traditions for birthdays if you do. Starting with a special birthday breakfast, so come on!" _she sent as she crawled over him.

Harry loved the exuberance he was feeling coming from Ginny and he found it quite contagious. Knowing she'd never let him stay in bed, he followed directly behind her as she exited their bed.

"S_ince it's your birthday, I'll let you use the loo first," _Ginny sent with a smile. "_But don't get use to it."_

Harry just smiled and shook his head, to him it didn't matter about using the loo first or last, at least here he could use it when he wished and not on some bizarre schedule set by his Uncle.

"_You can come up in five minutes," _Harry sent with a smile. He had gotten very good at taking a quick shower if he wanted to be thoroughly rinsed when the time was up, or he'd be dragged from the shower by his Uncle and given a beating for wasting water, even though everyone else took much longer showers.

The Dursley's had even installed an over-sized water heater because Dudley kept complaining when the hot water ran short if he was in the shower longer than a half hour.

Harry had finished his shower, and was brushing his teeth when Ginny arrived. She pulled the door shut behind her and immediately began to disrobe. They had long since gotten over any embarrassment about being unclothed in each others presence, a gift of the Bond. There was no sexual attraction, and though both liked looking at the other nude, it wasn't something that they concentrated on, it was just something that they enjoyed when it happened.

Ginny jumped in the shower, sending to Harry, "_You'd better wait for me before going down to breakfast, or maybe I'll keep your gift for myself."_

Harry could feel the playful nature of her warning and knew that she wasn't really concerned about his heading off without her.

"_See you down in our room," _he sent as he exited. He almost ran right into Ron who was waiting patiently outside the door for his turn. Harry saw the surprised look on his face when Harry shut the door behind himself as he exited.

When Ron reached for the doorknob, Harry innocently said, "Ginny's still in there taking her shower."

Ron's eyes widened and he immediately began to turn red, his rage overcoming his brain's attempt to tell him that the Bond must have had something to do with it.

Harry immediately knew he had made a mistake in what he had said to Ron, but that was irrelevant now, he needed some way to diffuse the situation before it got out of hand.

Fate must have been looking out for Harry because of his birthday, for before Ron could explode the Twins showed up and took stock of the situation.

Fred and George each gabbed one of Ron's shoulders and pushed him hard against the wall, both glaring at their little brother. "What's got your knickers all in a twist already this morning?" Fred said fiercely, hold Ron tightly against the wall.

"Yeah, you'd think from looking at you, that you were about to fly off the handle or something," George added, pressing on Ron's other shoulder just as forcefully as Fred was on the other.

When all Ron did was glare at them for a moment, Fred said to Harry, "Go on, we'll handle it from here."

"You sure?" Harry asked.

"We're sure," Fred replied.

"_Harry? What's going on out there?" _Ginny sent, sensing Harry's unease.

As Harry descended the stairs he replied, "_Ron was waiting outside and when he went to enter, I told him you were still taking your shower."_

"_Oh, Harry, did you really?" _Ginny asked in disbelief.

"_Yeah, I wasn't thinking," _Harry sent back, sheepishly.

"_Harry, Harry, Harry. What am I going to do with you?" _Ginny sent back playfully.

"_I'm sure you'll think of something,"_ Harry replied, grinning.

"_What happened, if I may ask?" _

"_The Twins showed up,"_ Harry said.

"_And?" _Ginny sent exasperatedly.

"_Oh! Well they grabbed Ron and shoved him up against the wall and told me they'd handle it," _Harry sent back offhandedly.

"_Poor Ron," _Ginny sent with a giggle. "_Good thing I'm done, maybe I can save Ron from too much damage."_

Harry had reached his room and started to get changed. He wasn't sure how he felt about Ginny rescuing Ron. On one hand he felt Ron deserved it but he also didn't want to create any more animosity. Overall he was glad he didn't have to make that decision and hoped things worked themselves out peacefully.

Ginny entered the room a few moments later, giggling almost to the point of hysterics. "_Well, are you going to tell me?" _he asked trying not to laugh.

"_Good thing I opened the door when I did or Ron would have been the life of the party tonight," _Ginny replied. "_Fred and George hadn't actually done anything yet, but they were telling Ron in great detail what they were planning on doing."_

"_What was that?" _Harry was compelled to ask.

"_Well you know those Muggle clowns?" _Ginny asked, stifling another giggle. "_They were going to turn him into one and to counter the spell, he'd have to apologize to you one hundred times, during the party, or he'd go to bed that way. Though it would wear off overnight."_

"_Makes me almost wish you hadn't intervened," _Harry sent, then when he felt Ginny's emotions, he quickly added, _"You did intervene, didn't you?"_

Ginny burst into laughter, "Yeah, I did, but I almost wish I hadn't," she said as she began to get changed.

Harry was already done and he just sat there admiring Ginny's lithe body. Even though she was starting to develop and had continued just as fast as she had before Aunt Poppy had checked her out, Harry only felt a warm loving glow concerning her physical attributes. It never even occurred to him that his seeing her naked was out of the ordinary for someone their ages. To him and Ginny it just felt natural and how things were supposed to be.

Ginny was ready in no time at all and she took Harry by the hand, leading him down to the kitchen. Harry was a bit surprised to see everyone was there, even Ron and the Twins.

Ginny led him to his normal spot, but instead of the normal plates and cutlery, the was a special plate that said, Birthday Boy along with magical decorations that moved around the plate. There were Quidditch players and Quaffles and Bludgers flying around. There were also magical creatures, dragons, Hippogriffs and others that Harry couldn't identify.

Harry stared at the plate for a moment, his emotions running wild, he was dimly aware of everyone wishing him a Happy Birthday. Harry felt his eyes watering up, his emotions a combination of what he had missed during his childhood and how lucky he was feeling now to be a part of such a loving family.

Ginny could feel Harry's runaway emotions, and she sent "_Are you okay?"_

Harry looked up at her and gave her a weak smile, "_Yeah, I'm okay, really. It's just a little overwhelming, that's all."_

Ginny nodded in understanding, letting Harry feel her love for him and just letting him adjust to everything.

Harry surprised her and everyone else by going around the table and hugging each and everyone there, Percy and Ron included. Percy was totally taken by surprise, and you could tell it threw his pompous sensibilities off and then there was Ron, he and Harry had looked at each other for a moment, both looking a bit uneasy, but then Harry had just hugged him, saying softly, "Thanks Ron."

It took a moment but Ron did return Harry's hug, if a bit awkwardly. Things weren't back the way they had been, but Ginny got the feeling that things had taken a step in the right direction.

Ginny was afraid at what the Twins might do, but all they did was slap a sign on Harry's back that read, "Kick Me, I'm the Birthday Boy", and she breathed a sigh of relief.

Ginny really felt Harry's emotions soar when he hugged Arthur and Molly and she was all smiles as he came back and sat down. The only one who hadn't acted strangely of the kids was Hermione, she had just hugged Harry back and wished him a happy birthday again.

Harry Hugged Ginny last, right before he sat, by now it was really evident just how emotional of a time it was for Harry and Molly had looked at him, her face full of concern, "Are you okay?" she asked softly.

Even though a few tears were leaking out and down his cheeks, Harry nodded and said emotionally, "Yeah, I am. It's just so different, you know. Before Hogwarts, I never even knew when my birthday was, my relatives never would tell me, and since it didn't fall during school, I never thought to ask any of my teachers."

Harry was forced to take a drink of water before continuing, "Last year when you sent me presents for my birthday was the first time I ever received anything, well except for the cake Hagrid brought with him, though Dudley ended up eating it, and I suppose Hedwig, I think I remember Hagrid saying it was my birthday gift, but well, this is the first time I've ever really had any kind of celebration and I can't thank you all enough."

The table was a bit sombre after Harry finished speaking but things slowly returned to normal as the meal progressed. Harry knew from Ginny that his party was going to be that night so that he wasn't surprised that he hadn't received any gifts yet, but to Harry, even if he didn't receive one present, it had already been the best birthday of his life. He was among people who cared about him and loved him and that was good enough for him.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Tonks was just finishing up at work and she was getting her stuff together to leave when Kingsley Shacklebolt came up to her.

"Here's that copy of the Auror training manual you wanted," he said as he handed her the book. "What are you going to do, reapply?" he asked good-naturedly.

"Ha, Ha," Tonks said sarcastically. "No, it's actually going to be a present for Har. . ., a friend."

Kingsley looked at her shrewdly, "Nymphadora!" he said, his voice rising in pitch all the way through. "Would you like to tell me who Har. . . is?'

Tonks cringed. She knew that it would be difficult for her to lie outright and that might cause more trouble than the truth. Sighing she said, "King, if I tell you, will you promise to keep it a secret?"

Kingsley was taken by the tone of Tonks' voice. He could tell that she was really upset at having let something slip and from her looks he knew it was something major. "Why don't you come into my office," he said kindly.

Tonks nodded and followed him into his office, where he shut the door and cast several more privacy spells on the room, besides the standard ones always in place.

He motioned for her to sit down and then he sat behind his desk, where he pulled out a bottle of Firewhiskey and a couple of glasses. He poured out a couple of fingers into each and slid one over to Tonks. He just sat there, letting Tonks get to things in her own sweet time.

Tonks took a sip of her Firewhiskey and looked pleadingly at her boss. "King, what I'm going to tell you isn't really a huge secret anymore but, well if things got out, it could make it pretty unpleasant for some friends of mine."

Kingsley sipped his own drink while he contemplated her words, "Okay, I can understand that," he said finally. "But why the secrecy in the first place?"

"Well at first it was because of a meddlesome old fool and now it's just because I've grown to like someone and don't want anything to happen to him," Tonks said, truthfully.

"A love interest?" Kingsley teased.

Tonks shot him a dirty look, "No, he's much to young for me, besides he already has a girlfriend and there's no way for me to break them up."

"Now you really have me intrigued," Kingsley said with a grin.

Tonks sighed, "The book is a birthday gift for a special young man I've come to know."

Kingsley wasn't a stupid man by any sense of the word, his mind began to piece together the things she had said so far and he wondered about the gift. "Would today perhaps be this young man's birthday?" he asked, taking a stab at it.

Tonks just nodded, wondering when and not if he was going to put the pieces together.

When Tonks had nodded, Kingsley was sure about who she was speaking, and he sat back in his chair, staring at the ceiling while letting out a long whistle. "Well, you certainly have a way of dropping a name without actually saying it," he said with a tone of respect.

He then looked at her a bit closer, sensing a certain tenseness that he had always associated with Aurors who knew that they might be heading into trouble.

"What's up, Dora," he asked intensely.

Dora knew that he had felt her unease, it was just something that Aurors seemed to pick up on easily. "Well, there might be trouble tonight at the young man's party," she said.

"How certain are you of that?" he asked.

"Fairly certain, considering the source," Tonks replied.

"A reliable source?" Kingsley asked, not pressing for details about the person. Most Aurors had contacts on the street that kept them informed and Kingsley just assumed it was on of those.

"Usually very reliable," Tonks replied.

"Do you need any help?" Kingsley asked.

Tonks considered his question carefully. Sure Aberforth had come up with a plan but it relied on a number of hereto unproven participants. Having a few friendlies close by might be advantageous.

"King, you know me, there isn't such a thing as too much help," Tonks replied with a grin.

"So if me and a few friends just happened to be in the area, you wouldn't object?" Kingsley asked with a knowing smile.

"Who me? Object, you've got to be kidding," she said back, breathing a sigh of relief. When you didn't have confirmed information on how many people you'd be facing, you got as many people as possible for your side, better to have too many than not enough.

"When and where?" Kingsley asked.

"The Burrow, tonight. The party is set to start at 6pm with dinner, you know the drill," Tonks said.

Kingsley's eyes lit up, "Dinner at Molly's?" he asked, hopefully.

Tonks had to laugh, "Okay but just for you, I can't invite more than that without approval, so the others will have to fend for themselves," she said humorously.

Kingsley's deep baritone laugh rang out, "Sure thing, I'll see you in a little bit or I can show up a little later."

Why don't I go ahead and let Molly know you'll be joining us," Tonks said after a moments thought.

"Fine with me, that will let me have a little time to clean up and wrap a present for the birthday boy," Kingsley said with a grin.

"You have a present?" Tonks said in surprise as she stood up.

"If you're giving him a copy of the manual, I have something that will compliment it," Kingsley said with a wink.

Tonks laughed as she headed for the door, "In that case, I think I know what you have in mind, and if I'm correct, he'll love it too."

**XX HP + GW XX**

Sirius was waiting patiently until dark and he was eager to get a hold of Wormtail, the man who had been the reason, he had spent the last twelve years in Azkaban. No one had a bigger score to settle than him. Not only had Peter Pettigrew framed him, he had betrayed the people who had meant the most to him in the whole world.

Sirius decided to take another loop around the property to see what was going on. It was while he was down by the small stream that flowed through the property, getting a drink of water that for a moment, he thought he had finally lost his mind.

Coming down the path toward the stream he saw two people walking. That in itself wasn't the problem, the thing that he found extraordinary was that from the distance he was seeing them, he could have sworn that it was James and Lily.

Sirius shook his head and looked again, knowing what he was seeing couldn't be true. He had seen James and Lily's bodies, checking the house after Hagrid had taken little Harry away.

Seeing that the couple was coming his way, Sirius found a hiding place across the stream, just outside the wards where he could see, but not be seen. He just had to find out who or what was coming.

It was as they came closer, Sirius realized it couldn't be James and Lily, they were much to young. This only piqued his interest, who could these two be to look so like his lost friends.

He didn't have that long to wait, as the couple came directly down to the stream. To Sirius they seemed to be acting very oddly. They would look at each other from time to time, sometimes smiling, sometimes poking the other or hugging lightly. From all appearances they seemed to be involved in a lengthy conversation, all except that their lips weren't moving or their mouths opening.

They were just across the stream from him when the boy pulled up short and the young girl into a tight hug, kissing her on the neck as he did so. Sirius thought they looked quite young to be participating in such activities, but his attention was drawn back to the couple when they young girl, said huskily, "Oh, Harry, that feels so wonderful."

Sirius' mind began to race, could it be? Was the boy really Harry, James' and Lily's son. He certainly looked right, and Sirius raised his nose to the breeze, closing his eyes he let his mind drift back to the idyllic times before his world had fallen apart.

Olfactory memories are deep seated, retained long after visual memories have faded and grown weak, and Sirius let the scent of the boy fill him and he knew without a doubt that he was none other than Harry James Potter. No wonder that he had smells so similar to James.

But if the messy black haired youth was Harry, who was the young girl who looked so much like Lily, at least from a distance. Up close he could see the differences, but still, she had a remarkable resemblance to the 11-12 year old Lily Evans.

Sirius thought hard, something he was use to doing, because it was one of the few things that had helped to keep him sane all the years he had been locked away in Azkaban.

From the looks of it she was slightly younger than Harry and since they were at the Burrow, could she be the young Weasley girl, She had been born just a couple of months before the killings of James and Lily.

What was her name? Jennifer? No, that wasn't it. Gin, . . ., Jen . . ., wait, wasn't it Genevieve, no! It was Ginevra! Ginevra Weasley, called Ginny the only time that he had visited, that one time the Order had met at the Burrow.

He clearly remembered Lily holding the young baby and cooing over her, before the meeting got started. James had gently chided her that they might have a girl next, to go along with Harry. He remembered the brilliant smile that had formed on Lily's face, saying that she would welcome a girl or a boy.

Suddenly, clearly in his mind he saw something that hadn't registered before, James placing his hand on Lily's abdomen, and Sirius felt his heart break. Lily had been pregnant at the time of her death. Robbing Harry of a brother or sister and the world of another brilliant child of James and Lily.

If that was true, she and James must have just discovered the fact and hadn't told anyone. Then when they were forced into hiding, they may have not wanted the fact known. He remembered that James had told him right before that fateful night that he and Lily had exciting news to share, but he wanted for Remus and Peter to be there too.

Without realizing it, Sirius was whimpering at the thoughts and he must have been heard by Harry and Ginny, because they looked intently across the stream to where he was hidden. It didn't look like they saw anything, but they turned and headed away rather quickly, leaving Sirius to morn for the Potter child that never had a chance to be born.

In that instant, the hatred Sirius felt for Pettigrew grew a hundred fold, and he vowed that nothing was going to stop him from extracting his revenge on the Rat that had betrayed the Potters, especially now that it looked like Harry was in close proximity to him.

Sirius rose and stealthily made his way back around to the weak point, where he would hunker down and wait till dark to slip in and find Pettigrew, Maybe, just maybe part of his nightmare would be over.

**XX HP + GW XX**

**A/N: So I was wrong, the kidnapping didn't happen in this chapter. I had to get Sirius involved, plus set the stage. You'll just have to wait till next chapter to find out what happens.**

**Will Harry be snatched? Will Sirius get Peter? Will the Chudley Cannons ****ever win a game? Weighty questions, intrepid readers. Any guesses? A special prize to any and all who guess correctly.**

**As always please review.**

**I'd like to give a blanket thank you to those who have reviewed lately and not received a personal response. As you may know, and I let many do so, FanFiction has been having issues lately, one was getting notifications out and I got swamped with two batches of catch-up emails, resulting in me getting 93 at once and then shortly afterwards, 70 some. I have tried to catch up, but to do so would have eaten into my writing time, and I'm pretty sure you'd rather have story updates than a reply to a review or message.**

**Thanks for your understanding.**


	27. Birthday Surprises

**Harry and Ginny: A Love Story**

**Chapter 27: Birthday Surprises**

Mundungus Fletcher smiled in satisfaction. He had gathered together a small band of ne'er-do-wells to execute the fake attempt at snatching Harry Potter.

Albus Dumbledore had given him Fifty Galleons per man and being the shrewd businessman that her was, Mundungus had paid each man twenty-five, pocketing the remainder for himself. That along with what Dumbledore was paying him, gave him a nice tidy sum for the evenings work.

Of course his job involved just more than organizing the raid, getting black robes for the participants had been easy enough. No, he had to make sure he got to Hogsmeade to intercept Tonks who would be showing up with Harry to hand him over to Hagrid. After a couple of quick Stunners from a hidden location, it would be easy sailing.

To bad Hagrid didn't know a thing about his supposed part in the evenings festivities. Mundungus was to take Harry to a special place and keep him there till Dumbledore arrived to take charge of the boy.

Mundungus took one last glance at the clock, and seeing it was time to get things rolling, he downed the last of his Firewhiskey, threw down a few coins and headed out to meet the others.

In a few hours, he'd be on easy street, without a care in the world, at least until he needed more Galleons, but with what he was being paid and what he had skimmed, that wouldn't be for quite some time, if he played his cards right.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Sirius was awoken the the aroma of some of the most wonderful smelling food that he could remember. It brought back memories of the time the Order had met at the Burrow. Molly was well known for her cooking and from the smell of it, she hadn't lost a single ounce of her skill.

Sirius felt his stomach growl, and he tried telling it to be patient, if all went well, maybe he'd be able to enjoy some of that fine food as a free man in a short time. He just hoped that the fates allowed him to get his justice tonight, for it had not served him well the night James and Lily had died.

He was just about to move when he heard a small contingent of people Apparate into the area. From his hiding spot he saw ten men, talking lowly. Luckily, his dog senses were much more acute than his human ones and he was able to overhear what they were saying.

"All right, teams of two. Shacklebolt said that the attack on the perimeter would just be a diversion, so we just need to play it cool and make sure no one gets away, got it?" said one of the men.

"Got it," the others replied, then they began to drift off, finding places that they could observe from, but remain hidden.

Sirius began to think quickly, someone was going to try to penetrate the wards, but only as a diversion, that meant the true attack would happen elsewhere.

He frowned, well if a dog could have, he would have. Did this mean that somehow Wormtail was involved in a plot to snatch Harry from inside the Burrow while the false attack distracted the others?

Since he didn't know for sure, Sirius saw no other option that to get as close as possible, as soon as possible and be ready in case he needed to act before he had originally planned. He didn't care if he was discovered, there was no way he was going to fail Harry this time. Whatever it took, he would rather end up in hell than let something happen to James and Lily's son a second time.

Stealthily he crept off, keeping to the shadows and cover as much as possible, he had to get to the spot he had discovered and get through the wards so that he could be near enough Harry to protect him.

Listening carefully, he made sure that the groups of Aurors were far enough away that he wouldn't be discovered prematurely. He made his way to the stream that cut through the wards, and submersed himself in the cool water. If he was correct, he should be able to slip through as any wild creature was able to do, if not, well he'd been in tight spots before and he just hoped he'd be able to get out of it, if it came to that.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Molly had Ginny keep Harry occupied while she, Minerva, Hermione, Ron and the Twins finished decorating the back garden for Harry's party.

She was keeping a close watch on the Twins because she knew that they'd certainly try something, they always did. Sure enough, she saw Fred placing something under Harry's chair, while George kept watch.

"Boy's! What are you up to?" she said sternly.

"Aw, Mum, it's just a little harmless prank," George said, disgustedly.

"It's Harry's first Birthday here and I'll have none of that. Hand it over this instant," she said, holding out her hand.

Fred rose and handed a small package to Molly, he and George looking quite downhearted. Then as Molly turned and left Hermione saw Fred give George a thumbs up and George wink back at Fred.

She couldn't help herself and she went over to them. "You let her catch you on purpose, didn't you?" she asked.

Fred and George smiled at her, "Well if she thinks she's foiled us, it makes it all that much better for the stuff we hid earlier," George said, having come to realize they usually didn't have to worry about her.

"You're not going to rat us out, are you?" asked Fred, just to make sure.

"Not me," Hermione said with a grin. She was starting to like the mostly benign pranks they pulled on everyone, well all except Percy. He seemed to suffer the most from more extensive and not quite so benign pranks.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Up stairs, Ginny was trying to keep Harry occupied so he wouldn't peek out the window to see what was taking place.

In reality, Harry really wasn't interested all that much, he knew he'd love whatever they did because he had never had a party before. He was just having fun, seeing what Ginny would do to keep him away from the window.

Though, of course, because of the Bond, Ginny knew what Harry's game was. She could tell by his emotions that he was much more interested in her than what was happening outside, so they were having a fun little game of who could outfox who.

It was a fun time for the pair, silently teasing one another, with Harry pretending to drift toward the window, just to see what Ginny would do.

"_Harry," _Ginny sent with a laugh, "_stop teasing, I know you really don't give a hoot what's going on out there."_

"_Yeah? Says who?" _Harry sent playfully back.

"_Me, your Bond-mate, that's who."_

Harry couldn't help but chuckle, but he did go back over to where Ginny laid on her bed, where he promptly crawled up beside her.

"_So if I'm not going to look out the window, what should I do?" _he asked, idly playing with a lock of her hair.

"_Just stay here with me," _Ginny replied, smiling at him.

"_Okay," _Harry said, a sly smile forming on his lips.

Ginny was having a hard time reading Harry's emotions. Yes, she could tell he was happy, quite elated when she concentrated on it, but she felt something more, something new, that hadn't been there before.

"_What's up?" _she asked, inquisitively.

"_Nothing," _Harry replied with a shrug.

"_Harrryy," _Ginny sent, knowing he seemed to be thinking something.

Their eyes met and Ginny was surprised again when she saw something she hadn't seen before, but before she could even think about trying to figure it out, Harry leaned over and softly kissed Ginny on the mouth.

They had kissed before, but there was something much different about this kiss and Ginny felt like she was catching of fire. Just when she thought she go mad with the intensity of the feelings Harry was creating, he stopped.

Ginny looked at him, her eyes filled with wonder, "Why did you do that?" she whispered.

"I'm not sure, really. It just felt like the right thing to do. Didn't you like it?" Harry asked softly.

"Harry, I loved it, but I just didn't expect it," Ginny replied.

"Do you want me to do it again?"

Ginny smiled coyly, "Yes, I think I'd like that very much," she said, as she reached up and putting her hand behind Harry's head, she pulled him down to her.

Once again, as their lips touched, both felt things they had never experienced before. It seemed as if they were burning up and freezing at the same time, a wonderful tingling sensation ran up and down their spines as they kissed deep and longer than before.

Ginny felt like she'd gone to heaven, she was enjoying their kiss so much. Never before had she felt anything that even approached the sensations she was experiencing.

She pulled Harry even closer, causing him to slip down a little. To steady himself, he dropped his one hand, and it inadvertently brushed across Ginny's breast.

Ginny felt her body react to Harry's touch and she jumped when she felt a pleasurable sensation rocket through her. It cause her to moan a little, as she felt it explode though her.

Harry quickly removed his hand, "_Did I hurt you?" _he asked in concern.

"_No, Harry, you didn't. In fact could you do it again?" _Ginny asked.

Tentatively Harry reached out and softly touched Ginny's breast again.

"_Harder," _Ginny sent, wanting to feel the same thing she had before.

Harry slowly increased the pressure, and feeling a nub rise up, he concentrated on that.

Ginny groaned louder, "_Oh yes, Harry!" _she sent to him, feeling even more pleasure than before.

Harry began to run his hand around her small mound, finding out what please Ginny the most. She began to writhe beneath his gentle ministrations.

Harry felt her excitement and pleasure growing and he found that he enjoyed making her feel so wonderful. Their lips were still locked together in a pulse pounding kiss that was rocking them to their cores.

"_Oh Harry, that feels so wonderful," _ Ginny sent in sheer ecstasy.

Just when they thought it couldn't get any better they heard footsteps pounding up the stairs.

"_We'd better stop for now," _Harry sent, regretfully.

Ginny sighed, she knew he was right, but she vowed that they'd explore this further the first chance they got.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Sirius crept along, keeping to the under-brush and the shadows. Getting through the wards had been just as easy as he had thought it would be. He would need to tell the Weasleys about the weak point, but only after he had fulfilled his own mission.

The closer he got to the Burrow, the stronger the scent of Wormtail became. He felt his hackles rising and he fought the urge to rush the house and find the traitor. Losing his head, at this point, would be very counterproductive.

He found it easy to manoeuvre near the back garden where the party was being set up.

Sirius smiled to himself, the decorations reminded his so much of Harry's first birthday, it was uncanny. The Snitches and Quidditch players that were floating above the heads of the ones decorating look almost identical to the ones he and Remus had acquired and decorated James and Lily's.

He found a great spot to hunker down and still have a great view of the area. He lay perfectly still, his senses at their most heightened ability. His eyes, ears and nose, all in action, picking up on virtually every little thing in the area. Now all he needed to do was wait for the perfect opportunity.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Ron went running up the stairs, he had forgotten to bring down his present for Harry and though he was still struggling with him and Ginny's relationship, he didn't want to make a scene. Harry was his mate after all.

As he opened the door to his room, he saw a small grey form dart out. "Scabbers!" he yelled as he started down the stairs after his pet.

To Ron it looked rather comical as his rat, tumbled off a step, almost as if he had misjudged it somehow and went crashing into the wall. As Scabbers righted himself and shook his head, Ron caught up with him and grabbed the wayward rat by the scruff of his neck.

"What am I going to do with you," he said, shaking his head. "Stupid rat," he muttered.

He hurried back up to his room, threw Scabbers back into his cage and grabbed his present. He looked back at the cage on the small table by the door and was surprised to see Scabbers trying to open the sliding bar that held the door shut.

"Hey, none of that now. There are going to be too many people here for you to be wandering about," Ron said disgustedly. Sighing, he grabbed the handle on the top of the cage. "I'll have Mum or Dad put a locking spell on this until everyone is gone. That should hold you!" he said humorously.

Ron could have sworn he saw Scabbers stare up at him when he mentioned locking the cage, and with a look that only said "annoyance" to Ron, he proceeded down the stairs to find someone to keep Scabbers locked up for the evening.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Harry and Ginny were laying on the bed when they heard Ron yell "Scabbers".

They both looked at each other, wide eyed, each remembering the question that they had and failed to remember to ask. Just how long did magical rats live, anyway.

_Harry, tonight will be the perfect time to ask someone about rats!" _she sent excitedly.

Harry felt her excitement and it mirrored his own. "_I know Ginny. I can't believe we forgot to ask, but with all that has happened, I not really that surprised."_

"_I know. I bet Aunt Minnie will know, so lets ask her first," _Ginny sent happily.

"_Is it time to go down, yet?" _Harry asked, giving her a sly smile.

Ginny glanced at the clock, "_Almost," _she replied, smiling back at him.

Though Harry had been pretty blasé before, as the time drew closer, he couldn't help but start to get a little anxious to find out just what a real birthday celebration was like, especially since it was for him.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Tonks arrived at the Burrow with plenty of time to spare, so she headed for the kitchen to see if she could help out.

Since Molly had been giving her some instruction, she was more than happy to help out as she didn't feel so lost when it came to preparing a meal anymore. She actually got a great sense of accomplishment now when she helped out.

With her added help things were progressing smoothly and she had just finished up the task Molly had assigned to her. Ron came bounding down the steps, Scabbers bouncing crazily in his cage.

"Mum, can you give me a hand for a moment?" he asked.

Molly was up to her elbows in preparing one of the dishes, "Can it wait, Ron? I'm a little busy right now. What do you need help with anyway?" Molly asked, glancing over her shoulder.

"Scabbers keeps getting out of his cage and with all the people that are going to be here later, I really want to keep him in his cage. I was hoping you could put some kind of locking spell on it, or something," Ron replied, a bit disappointed.

Tonks smiled, "I think I can handle that for you," she said with a smirk.

Ron looked at her in surprise, never even thinking about the young Auror as someone who could help him out. "That'd be great," he said.

Tonks drew her wand and came over to Ron. She looked at the lock and was surprised that his rat kept getting out. It was a two stage lock, not something that an animal should have been able to open at all, let alone as easily as Ron seemed to indicate. Shaking her head, she quickly cast a pretty advanced locking spell on the door and lock mechanism.

"There, that should hold him," Tonks said with a smile.

Ron blushed at Tonks as she smiled at him, "Ah, thanks," he said, sheepishly.

"No problem. Glad I could help out," Tonks said with a chuckle.

Ron went to set the cage on the table, "Ronald Weasley, do not place that cage on the kitchen table. Either take it back up stairs to your room, or at least place it in the parlour for this evening," Molly chastised him.

"Yes, Mum," Ron said, his face and ears turning a deeper shade of red.

Tonks watched Ron head off toward the parlour, still wondering on how the rat was able to open the door, when Molly called her, "Could you take these plates out back, dear?" she said genially.

Tonks turned to help Molly, all thought of the rat and his cage banished from her mind for the moment.

"Hey, Molly, I almost forgot, Kingsley is coming to the party tonight, in fact he should be here soon. I hope you don't mind?" Tonks said.

Molly looked at here apraisingly, a slight smile on her face, "Anything I should know about, Dora?" she asked teasingly.

Tonks rolled her eyes, "No, Mum. He's my boss and well, I may have hinted to him about the special event that may happen tonight," she said sheepishly. "I trust him with my life and he will never betray my trust. I haven't come right out and told him who's birthday it is, but he's pretty astute and I'm certain he's figured it out."

Molly's look changed from one of teasing to one of contemplation, "If you trust him, then that's good enough for me," she said with a smile. "And thanks for remembering to tell me, I'll need to set another place at the table."

Molly glanced at the clock, it was almost time to get things started, Aberforth would be here soon and then things would be ready in case the attempted kidnapping did take place. "Well, once Ab gets here we can begin," Molly said.

"Let me know as soon as he's here, I need to have a quick word with him," Tonks said.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Harry and Ginny made their way down to the parlour, where Harry would wait until he was called for dinner. He and Ginny were surprised to see Scabbers in his cage sitting on one of the side tables and they went over and looked at him closely.

For a rat, he was rather plain, an even slate grey, his only distinguishing feature being his missing toe on his left front paw. Though when Harry looked closely at his eyes, something seemed slightly off, they didn't look exactly like he remembered the eyes looking on the rats his class had raised.

Harry just shrugged, it might be nothing more than he was a magical rat, in any case, he hoped that he and Ginny would have their answer later in the evening.

They went over and sat down on the smaller couch and Ginny tucked into his side. Harry could feel just how contented she felt, it was radiating off her like a beacon.

"_What's got you so content?"_ he asked.

Ginny giggled, _"You do, silly," _she sent happily.

"_And why is that?" _he asked, smiling back at her.

"_That kiss you gave me," _she sent shyly. "_It was something I didn't expect, but it made me feel so bloody brilliant."_

Harry couldn't help but blush a little. _"Yeah, it felt brilliant to me too," _he said, as he reached out and tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear.

Ginny felt the soft touch of Harry's fingers as they lightly touched the perimeter of her ear, sending shivers down her spine. Her eyes took a a bright, almost feverish quality, with a coy smile forming on her lips.

Harry had his eyes fastened onto Ginny's and between the look she was giving him and the feelings he was receiving, he had another urge to kiss Ginny deeply.

He slowly started to lean towards her and he felt her approval, but just before their lips came together, Molly called out from the kitchen, "Harry, Ginny, dinner's ready."

Both felt the disappointment from the other and they shared a small chuckle, "_I guess we should be going," _Harry sent.

"_Yeah, I guess so, but I'm going to give you a birthday kiss later tonight," _Ginny sent, her emotions barely under control.

Harry rose first and held out his hand to Ginny, who took it with a smile, letting Harry gently pull her up.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Molly knew she needed to get Harry and Ginny out of the house, not wanting them to be there when Aberforth arrived with his "friends". They would be staying in the house unless they were needed.

The plan was to get Harry into the house as quickly as possible and defend him there. Tonks would take charge just as Dumbledore wished, but she wasn't going to leave the protection of the Burrow under any circumstances.

She called out to the pair who were waiting in the parlour, and she was happy to see them come directly out. She smiled at them because they looked so happy, it virtually shined out of them and she was surprised to actually feel their happiness radiating off them, something that had never happened before.

The way they were looking at one another made her heart skip a beat, the obvious love they had, was so apparent, they seemed years older. Her smile faltered slightly, as she sighed. She knew in her heart that they were never going to have anything that approached a normal childhood, and though it saddened her slightly, she was also a little excited for them. They were without a doubt a most extraordinary couple and she was sure their life together would reflect that.

Just after they had exited the door, Molly heard the Floo in the parlour flare and Aberforth came into the kitchen. "All clear?" he asked, with a grin.

Molly nodded, "All clear, Harry and Ginny just went out back where everyone is gathering. Once your friends are settled, join us."

Ab nodded, "Wouldn't miss it for anything Molly. The kid deserves some happiness and I'm sure we'll be able to thwart my overzealous brother."

Molly nodded, grabbed a last platter and headed outside herself, still a little apprehensive, but confident that they had done everything in their power to protect Harry from the kidnapping attempt.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Ginny led Harry to the edge of the house, just to the point where he still couldn't see the back garden, but still be able to hear what was happening there.

Harry smiled, he could hear lively talking, the Twins loudest of all, but he could also hear Ron and Hermione's snipping at one another. Ron complaining about how much time she seemed to be spending with the Twins.

He also heard, Arthur, Minerva, Poppy, Tonks and Percy having a discussion about the goings on at the Ministry, and from the sounds of it, Tonks must have been rolling her eyes at what Percy was saying about the Minister's office.

Harry was then surprised to hear a voice he hadn't expected. It was the soft-spoken voice of Neville Longbottom, one of his year-mates from Hogwarts. He looked questioningly at Ginny who shrugged at him, letting him know by her emotions that she had no idea that he was going to be there.

"_Ready?" _Ginny asked, feeling Harry's anticipation and excitement.

"_Ready as I'll ever be," _he sent back.

Ginny tugged lightly on his arm, leading him around the corner.

Harry came to a standstill, his eyes trying to take in everything at once. Above his head, Quidditch players zoomed about, along with Snitches and Bludgers. The players were tossing Quaffles about like it was a warm-up before a big game.

There were also Fairy lights that would undoubtedly light once it became dark enough, along with streamers in Gryffindor colours. All in all it was an amazing scene and topping it all off was a huge banner that read "Happy Birthday, Harry!"

Ginny felt Harry's emotions, he was at once, choked up and elated, and she wasn't surprised to see his eyes glistening with unshed tears. He looked at her, a smile on his face.

"It's for me. ME! Harry," he said emotionally.

Ginny nodded, "Yes Harry, it's for you. We love you and want to celebrate your birthday with you so you'll know just how much we care."

Harry hugged Ginny tightly and then became aware that the chatter had died down. Reluctantly, he released Ginny from the embrace, but kept a firm grip on her hand.

He and Ginny felt Molly, Kingsley and Aberforth come up behind them. He spun toward Molly and threw himself at her, almost knocking the platter from her hands. Luckily Aberforth was quick and snatched it before it could fall, allowing Molly to wrap her arms around Harry.

"Happy Birthday, Harry," she whispered.

With tears in his eyes, Harry whispered back, "Thanks, Mum." The first time he had called her that since the fight that they had.

With tears in her eyes, Molly said emotionally, "You're welcome, Harry." After a moment, she gently disengaged from him, "Why don't you and Ginny go sit down, so we can get this party started.

Harry's face light up, his smile as large as they'd ever seen. He just nodded, turned and grabbed Ginny's hand and walked the rest of the way into the garden, where everyone was waiting.

Dinner seemed to go on forever for Harry, and it wasn't until the sun had set and the Fairy Lights had flickered on, lending a very festive air to the already fun time that it was time for cake and presents.

Molly summoned the cake form the house, and Harry smiled as it come into view. It was a huge Snitch, that had candles and his name on it. What was really surprising to him were the wings that seemed to be flying it toward the table.

Harry was astounded at the pile of presents that were brought over magically and appeared before him. Ginny felt his emotions skyrocket and she was afraid he was going to hyperventilate.

"_Breathe, Harry!" _she sent tenderly.

Harry turned and looked at her, his eyes glistening again, but he was smiling a mile wide.

"_I can't believe this. It seems like one of my dreams from when I was locked at my relatives," _he sent emotionally.

Harry began to open his presents, going at a much slower pace than the Weasley children were accustomed to. He had to look at each one carefully before he went on to the next, as if he was memorizing each and every one.

Ron had muttered something, but was quickly quashed by Molly and Arthur. It was after all Harry's first real birthday party.

Finally there was one present left, Ginny's. Harry felt Ginny's apprehension, wondering if Harry would like her present.

Harry smiled at her, trying to let her know that no matter what she had gotten him, he would love it. Slowly he unwrapped the gift, until it was revealed.

Harry stared at the pictures of him and Ginny and the one of Ginny alone. It was the most wonderful thing he had ever seen, he thought.

"_Ginny!" _ he said emotionally, "This is . . . ." and words failed him.

Ginny could feel how extraordinarily happy he was, in fact she had never felt him happier.

Harry turned towards her and pulled her to him in a vicious hug, far surpassing anything she had ever felt from her mother, who was notorious for her bone crunching hugs.

"Well, lets see it," one of the Twins called out, but before Harry could even move, the wards sounded that they were under assault.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Mundungus and his helpers appeared near a copse of trees just outside the wards. "Git, dem stones placed," he said lowly.

Two of the others went up to the edge of the wards and placed two crystals about ten feet apart, and then they stepped back.

They all drew their wands in anticipation of the wards being breached.

Mundungus smiled, Albus had given him the crystals and a spell that would allow them to penetrate the words without collapsing them completely.

"All right, remember, as soon as I get the opening formed, git in and act quickly. The chaos should give us an a'vantage."

To the others, this was a straight snatch, no knowing that their leader had conspired with the planner that their effort was just a diversion and that Mundungus would be leaving them to themselves while he Apparated off to Hogsmeade to get Potter when he arrived there with Tonks.

Mundungus murmured the spell, and a bolt of light shot from one crystal to the next, it then arced up, forming a semi-circle ten feet wide and ten feet high.

The half-a-dozen men poured through, and headed straight for the party that they could see light up before them. They had about 50 yards to cover over open ground till the reached the garden.

Mundungus smiled as they charged forward and just as he turned to Apparate away, he heard someone to his right, "Stop! Or we'll be forced to hex you."

He wasted no time and without a though Apparated away.

"Damn," yelled one of the Aurors, as he had his partner rushed out of the copse of trees. His partner had fired off a Patronus to the others, giving them the location of the breach in the wards.

With in a moment, the others arrived, they all stepped through, and the one kicked the closest crystal away from the wards, causing the hole to close immediately.

"They're trapped in here now," he said, "Lets get them."

**XX HP + GW XX**

Sirius was watching Harry with great interest, he couldn't believe how happy he looked and there was something special between him and Ginny. He could just feel it.

Suddenly the wards rang out and he could see a small group of men rushing towards the party. Growling deeply, he sprang into action. He bounded across the ground, heading for the last man who was falling slightly behind the others.

Sirius smiled, "Easy pickings," he said to himself.

The man never saw the black dog come tearing at him through the darkness, one moment he was running and then something hard and strong had slammed into him, biting hard down on his wrist that held his wand. He was about to scream when he was slammed into the ground, knocking the wind out of him and causing his head to strike the ground, knocking him senseless, effectively silencing him.

Sirius grabbed the wand and without breaking stride, he headed for the open door of the Burrow. He could see men pouring out and several people being hustled inside.

Smiling to himself, things couldn't have been going better for him, if he had planned it himself.

**XX HP + GW XX**

As soon as the wards sounded, the adults sprung into action.

"Children! Get into the house, immediately!" yelled Arthur.

Molly and Tonks were immediately at Harry's side, "Come on Harry, we need to get you to safety," Tonks said.

Molly was confused for a moment, because instead of heading for the house, it seemed Tonks was trying to pull Harry in the other direction. When Molly looked at her, she saw Tonks' eyes had a strange look to them, and she knew that she was under some type of spell.

"Aberforth!" she yelled out.

Aberforth took one look at Tonks and cursed his brother, he had confunded her to take Harry to Hogsmeade, just in case.

"Forgive me, Dora," he whispered as he pointed his wand at her. "Stupefy," he called out and watched the red beam hit the young Auror, sending her to the ground.

Molly then grabbed Harry, who had not let go of Ginny and hurried them towards the door.

Within moments, spells were flying everywhere, and chaos reigned. Then the adults at the Burrow formed up, creating a corridor for Molly and all the children, allowing them the space they needed to get to the Burrow.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Sirius saw his opening, a group of men had just come out of the Burrow, heading to cut off the group heading for the party. He could see with their numbers, along with the ones at the party, they should easily be able to handle the attack.

The thing he focused on was they had left the door open, and Sirius knew he'd probably never have a more perfect opportunity to get inside and find Wormtail than now.

If anyone had noticed the black shadow as it slipped inside, they didn't show it. All their attention was focused on the group attacking the party.

Sirius skid to a halt just inside the door. He sniffed the air and knew that his quarry was close, in the parlour, if his senses hadn't failed him. He changed back into his human self and crept cautiously into the parlour.

Sirius almost laughed out loud, there, trapped in his cage, a frantic Wormtail tried desperately to free himself. He casually walked over to the cage and bent down slightly. "Hello, Peter. Bet you never expected to see me again, did you?"

Peter Pettigrew froze in fright, trapped in the cage, unable to transform back into his human self, he was terrified beyond belief, so much so he unconsciously soiled his cage.

Sirius lifted the cage up to eye height as he stood upright, he raised his wand . . ."

"Who are you?" he heard behind him.

Sirius spun around, there before him were Harry and Ginny. Harry had his wand drawn, but Sirius could see his hand shaking ever so slightly, but he had a look of hard determination that made him smile, James would have been so proud of his son at that moment.

Slowly, Sirius lowered his wand, "Hello, Harry. You may not remember me, but I'm your godfather, Sirius Black. You may remember me better as Padfoot."

Harry stood and stared, images flashing through his mind, could this ragged, scraggly man, truly be his fathers friend, Sirius Black?"

Ginny could feel Harry's confusion, "_What is it Harry?" _she sent.

Never taking his eyes from Sirius, Harry replied, "_I think it really is him, I think he's my Dad's best friend."_

"_What are we going to do?"_

"_I don't know, Ginny. Can you get someone?"_

"_I'd rather not leave you alone, he could overpower just one of us," _Ginny sent, a little concerned, but not unusually so, considering the circumstances.

"_Please Ginny," _ Harry sent.

Sirius was watching the young pair before him, and once again he was struck by the way they were acting. "May I put the cage down?" he asked, still holding it at eye level.

Harry just motioned with his wand, a couple of short movements, indicating for Sirius to place the cage back on the table.

"Thank you, Harry," Sirius said, a smile forming on his lips. It felt so strange to him, he had nothing in the last twelve years to smile about and his muscles didn't seem to want to react as normal.

"You can put you wand down if you wish, Harry. You and Ginny have nothing to fear from me, I promise you." he said softly.

Harry considered it for a moment, holding his wand full out was beginning to tire his arm. It didn't help that he was a tense as he'd ever been, even when he had fought Riddle.

Slowly Harry lowered his wand, "_Ginny, Please go get someone," _Harry sent once again.

Ginny looked from Sirius to Harry, "_Okay, Harry, but if anything happens to you, I'll kill you, understand!"_

Harry couldn't help but smile, knowing her threat was unenforceable. "_Fine, but please just go get someone."_

Ginny frowned, but turned and left, hoping that her mother and some of the others were still right outside the door.

**XX HP + GW XX**

The attack quickly fizzled, what with a large contingent in front of them and the Aurors coming up behind, they stood little chance. It was over in a matter of moments.

The adults all gathered around the fallen attackers, though they were wearing black robes, they really didn't look anything like real Death Eaters. The Aurors were bundling them up, removing their wands, though they were puzzled, the one they had found further back didn't seem to have one, and even with a search of the immediate area, they couldn't locate one.

Aberforth headed back to the garden and went to Tonks. Shaking his head he cast "_Rennervate",_ hoping Tonks wouldn't be upset at having been stunned.

Tonks came to slowly, groaning lowly as she sat up. She looked up at Aberforth and said, "Thanks Ab, I knew what was happening, but I couldn't stop myself."

Aberforth extended his hand to her and helped her to her feet. "I'm sorry I had to do that, but it was the quickest way."

Tonks just nodded, "I know, and I don't hold anything against you, I would have done the same in your shoes. No one is to blame but Albus."

"Aye, that's the truth."

Tonks rolled her neck, "Where's Harry?" she asked.

In the house, as far as I know, that's where they were headed last I saw," Ab replied.

They both headed towards the house, glancing off to where the Aurors and the rest of the adults were standing over the attackers, who were now bound up and being readied to be portkeyed to the Ministry.

Tonks frowned, If they're all there, who's with Harry?" she asked.

Before she got her answer, Ginny came flying out of the house, almost knocking Tonks down. "Whoa, Ginny. What's the rush?" she asked, with a smile.

"You need to come quick, Harry needs help," she said.

Without even bothering to get an explanation as to why, Tonks and Aberforth hurried into the Burrow, followed closely by Ginny.

When they came to a dead stop in the kitchen, Ginny said, "In the Parlour," as she brushed by and headed back to Harry's side.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Sirius and Harry stood facing one an other, neither moving for the moment. Sirius smiled, "May I sit down?" he asked, motioning to the nearby chair.

Harry just nodded. Though he had lowered his wand, he hadn't put it away and remained wary of the man across form him.

Sirius was looking at Harry, who began to get a little nervous. Then Sirius said softly, "You look so much like James, it's uncanny."

"So I've heard," Harry replied softly. "What are you doing here?" he asked, curiously.

Sirius gave a small chuckle, "I came for him," he said, indicating the rat.

"Scabbers?" Harry said incredulously.

"Ah, you may know him as Scabbers, but I know him by a couple of other names. Isn't that right, Wormtail?" he said malevolently to the rat.

Harry was surprised when Scabbers went crazy, running around the cage and throwing himself against the bars repeatedly, trying to escape.

"Wormtail? You mean one of the other Marauders?" Harry asked in surprise.

Sirius smiled, "Yes, that's right. I'm surprised you know about that."

"Fred and George, have a map you did," Harry replied.

Sirius' face brightened, "No kidding, I would have thought Filch would have destroyed it after he took it from us. Bad day that was, oh well, that's far in the past and of little consequence anymore. I hope they're putting it to good use."

Harry couldn't help himself, though leery of Sirius, the fact that he hoped that the map was still being used to cause mayhem at Hogwarts pleased him. "Yeah, they are the head pranksters there now."

"I hope I get a chance to meet them," Sirius said softly.

Harry walked closer to look at Scabbers, "Ginny and I have questions about him," he said softly.

Sirius looked at him in surprise, "Really? How come?"

"We got to talking about rats, and Ginny mentioned that her older brother Percy had him, before passing him on to Ron. She said that Percy had him since before she was born."

Harry then looked at Sirius, "I know that common rats only live about three years from going to a muggle school, and we thought that 12 years was quite a long time, even if he is a magical rat."

Sirius looked at Harry with a new found respect, "Very astute of you and her," he replied. "You are right, of course, even a magical rat wouldn't live 12 years, if that's all he was."

It was then that they heard a commotion in the kitchen, causing Harry to turn his head in that direction. In that moment, Sirius sprung up and pulled Harry in front of himself. He whispered, "Sorry, Harry. I mean you no harm, but I need to be careful. I hope you understand."

Harry offered no resistance, somehow knowing that there was a lot more to the story and he wanted to get to the bottom of it. He wanted answers about Wormtail and the only way he was going to get them was if he could somehow diffuse the situation."

"_Ginny," _he sent frantically. "_Try to keep everyone calm."_

"_Okay, Harry, but what's going on?" _she replied.

"_I'm trying to get answers about Scabbers, though Sirius calls him Wormtail."_

Harry's answer took Ginny by surprise. "_Wormtail, like from the Twins' map?"_

"_That's right, if what Sirius says is correct."_

Ginny stopped in the doorway, effectively slowing down Tonks and Aberforth, who almost fell over her.

"Ginny, what the bloody . . ." Tonks said, until her eyes fell on Sirius.

Ginny quickly spun around, "Harry wants you to behave, there is more going on here than you realize." Ginny gently reached up and pulled softly on Tonks' wand arm, slowly lowering it down.

"Ab, why don't you go get the others," she said, calmly. "Looks like tonight's events aren't over yet."

**XX HP + GW XX**

**A/N: Well, Albus was a sneaky bastard, wasn't he. Sirius is in a bit of a spot, but it looks like Harry at least wants to hear what he has to say.**

**It will be interesting to see how things play out.**

**Please review, as usual.**


	28. The Rat Revealed

**Harry and Ginny: A Love Story**

**Chapter 28: Revelations**

Sirius moved him and Harry as far into the parlour as possible, taking Scabbers' cage with him, and always keeping Harry between him and the growing crowd.

Harry was, to himself, surprisingly calm. He was intrigued by what Sirius Black had said, and that coupled with his and Ginny's questions about Scabbers made him quite determined to get to the bottom of the situation.

Harry smiled as Ginny stood firmly at the door, making sure that everyone who came in remained calm and kept their wands safely put away. Only Tonks, who had drawn her wand originally, kept hers in sight, though she wasn't acting the least bit threatening.

Harry was closely watching the faces of those who came into the room, taking note of the looks that they displayed once they spied Sirius. Some were surprised, some shocked, Mrs. Weasley looked frightened, but it was Arthur's face that Harry focused on the most. He had a look of curiosity that was neither tinged with suspicion or animosity. Harry could tell he came in with an open mind.

Kingsley had wanted to send word for the Aurors to return, but Tonks convinced him that there were sufficient numbers present to prevent Sirius Black from escaping.

Everyone just stood and stared at one another for a few moments and then Ginny said, "Why don't we all sit down and get comfortable?"

As everyone sat down, but Harry, who remained standing if front of Sirius, Ginny sent, "_Are you okay?"_

"_I'm fine, Ginny. I'm also extremely curious to hear what Mr. Black has to say," _Harry replied.

"_Why is he here?" _

Harry chuckled, "_Well, if he told me the truth, it's because of Scabbers, who he called Wormtail."_

"_You mean like from Fred and George's map?" _Ginny sent, her eyes widening.

"_Seems so," _Harry replied. He then became aware that everyone was seated and seemed to be getting a bit anxious in the silence.

It was Arthur who broke the silence, "Harry, can you please tell us what's going on?"

Harry glanced at Sirius, before looking back at Arthur. "Well, several things really."

"Like what?" asked Tonks, looking at Sirius warily.

Harry chuckled, "Sirius, could you please give me Scabbers."

Ginny smiled at Harry. _"So the rat plays a big part in all of this."_

"_More than you know,"_ Harry replied.

Sirius picked up the cage and handed it to Harry. Immediately Scabbers squealed loudly and began to throw himself against the bars of the cage furthest from Harry and Sirius.

"Harry! Stop! Can't you see how scared he is?" Ron bellowed.

Aberforth looked at Ron quizzically, "Why would he be scared of just being picked up and given to Harry?"

Ron looked at him bewildered. "I – I – ah don't know," he stammered.

"Maybe he isn't what he seems to be," Harry said, looking at Sirius.

Sirius smiled at Harry, but remained silent.

"What are you saying, Harry?" Arthur asked.

Instead of answering, Harry looked at Percy. "How long ago did you get Scabbers?" he asked.

Percy paled considerably, "Well, I, you see," he stammered, looking quite embarrassed.

"Just answer the question, son" Arthur said, lowly.

Percy swallowed visibly, "Well, let's see, I gave him to Ron before he went to Hogwarts for his first year, and I had him . . . ." everyone watched as Percy stared off as if counting in his mind, "Yes," he said, more to himself. "It was just before Christmas that I found him, ten years ago, I'm sure of it."

Arthur blanched, "You're saying you FOUND, him Christmas 1981?" he asked.

"Yes, that's right, father," Percy said confidently.

"Percy, you told us you bought him from a dorm mate," Molly said, disapprovingly.

Percy looked at his mother wide-eyed, "Did I?" he asked, his voice climbing several octaves.

"Percy, you know darn well you did," Arthur said, unhappily.

"I – ah, may have – ah, exaggerated slightly," he said lowly, his face showing his fear of being repremanded.

"So you're telling us, you just happened to find a magical rat wandering around and didn't think anything about it?" his father asked, sternly.

"Yes," he answered, cringing.

"We'll have a little talk later young man. Right now we have other questions to answer," Arthur said, looking disapprovingly at his son.

Percy slumped back in his seat, knowing he wasn't going to enjoy the "talk" he was going to have with his father.

"_Humph, and he had the nerve to yell at me for writing in the diary," _Ginny sent, a little hotly.

Harry couldn't help but chuckle and glance at Ginny who looked back at him and smiled, slightly embarrassed.

Sirius took note of the look and whispered to Harry, "What is going on between you and the young Weasley girl?"

Harry looked back at him, "That can wait till later, first we deal with the rat."

Sirius was a little surprised by Harry's response, but not exceedingly so. "That's fine by me, Harry," he said with a smile.

Kingsley was the one who brought up the obvious, "If Percy found this rat back in 1981, then there is no way it should still be alive now."

"If he was nothing but a rat," Harry said, glancing at Sirius.

"If he's not a rat, what is he?" Tonks asked.

"I think the better question is "Who is he?"," said Harry.

Everybody stopped and stared at Harry, "Who?" asked Arthur.

"Yes, who," replied Sirius.

The attention then shifted to him, "You expect us to believe that this . . . rat, is a person?" Minerva asked, a bit sceptically.

"I would certainly explain his longevity," Sirius replied.

Minerva frowned. She was torn by her feelings, back in his school days with James, Lily and Peter, Sirius had been one of her secret favourites, along with James and Lily. Then came the night of the Potter's deaths and she had hardened her heart against the one whom she was told betrayed his best friends.

"So what you're saying is this rat is an animagus?" Minerva asked, sceptically.

"That's precisely what I'm saying," Sirius replied.

"There aren't any rat animagi registered in this century," Kingsley said, frowning at Sirius.

"Who said he was registered?" Sirius responded, with a grin.

Minerva sighed, "So you all did succeed, didn't you?" she asked sadly.

"Yes, we did. James and I were pretty sure you suspected, but you never said anything, so we didn't either," Sirius said, with a touch of regret.

"Where does this leave us?" asked Tonks.

"All we have to do is prove that this rat is the unregistered animagus Peter Pettigrew and the case against Sirius falls apart," Kingsley said.

"Who's going to take the word of an escaped killer?" Ron asked.

Everybody turned towards him and stared at him, causing him to blush deeply and mumble, "I was just wondering."

"Well the good thing is we don't need to," said Kingsley.

"Yes, even if there wasn't a magical way to prove who the rat is, we could have someone else testify in his behalf," Minerva said, with a thin smile.

"Who would that be?" asked Tonks.

"Remus Lupin," Minerva replied.

Sirius looked surprised, "Remus, is he still around?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact he's closer that you might think. He's going to be the new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher," Minerva said with a small grin.

"How is Albus pulling that off?" Sirius asked.

Everyone was now looking back and forth between Sirius and Minerva.

Minerva looked at Sirius and said, "That's a matter for later discussion, and immaterial as it pertains to this discussion," the Deputy Headmistress replied.

Sirius looked at her with an amused expression and gave her a shrug. "So are we going to expose the rat or not?" he asked. "Because I'd really like to have some of the left-overs that I can smell. I haven't had a decent meal in ages."

"What do you mean?" asked Ron, frowning as he looked at his pet. "You're not going to hurt him, are you?"

Several people looked at Ron questioningly, "Ron, he may be the one who betrayed Harry's parents," Fred said.

"And killed a dozen Muggles too," added George.

Ron paled, "You mean, I've had a mass murderer in my room?"

"Could be little brother," George said, grinning at Ron.

Ron shuddered visibly, unable to contain his reaction.

Harry looked at the others, and in the silence it seemed everyone looked back at him. Harry took in their faces one by one. First he looked at Ginny and he could feel her love and support. She had a small smile on her face, and as their eyes met, no words were necessary. She was just as eager to end the mystery as he was.

Near her stood Arthur, and Harry was taken by how solid and forthright he was. If ever a man was the backbone of his family, Arthur was it. He nodded at Harry, showing his total support also.

Behind him stood Percy, looking pale and uneasy. He had been caught in a lie and though he had made it years ago, he knew he was going to have to answer for his misdeed anyway. You could almost see his desire that Scabbers was nothing but an extraordinary rat, but his eyes were full of his doubt.

Beside him was Aunt Poppy, she had been totally silent, though you could see that she was extremely curious and also was supportive of Harry.

Sitting just to her right were the Twins, their eyes sparkling, nothing like a good mystery to spark their interest. You could also see their minds planning to take the mickey out on Ron, no matter which way things went.

Kingsley and Tonks were standing behind where the Twins sat, both looking very official, though Tonks was the only one who had her wand in sight, you could feel the watchfulness of Kingsley as he stared intently at Scabbers.

Aberforth was next to the two Aurors, his face also showing his keen interest, his face alive with curiosity as to what would happen.

Sitting in front of him was Aunt Minerva, though curious, she looked somewhat troubled, as if she had unfairly condemned Sirius without even hearing his side of the story.

Ron was to their left, still looking troubled, wondering if his pet was the murderer that they said he was.

Lastly Harry glanced at Sirius, who had a benign smile on his face. For an escaped criminal he looked very calm and collected.

"Who's going to cast the spell?" he asked.

Tonks stepped forward, "Since you and I are the only one's with our wands out, I guess it falls to me," she said, looking directly into Harry's eyes.

"What if he's just a rat?" Ron asked, looking concerned.

"Then nothing will happen to him," replied Kingsley.

"Harry, will you do the honours?" Tonks asked, motioning towards the cage.

"Don't hurt him, Harry," Ron called out.

Ginny eyed her brother, a deep frown on her face. She was already convinced that Scabbers was who Sirius claimed. All the evidence pointed to it.

Harry struggled a moment with the cage door, and Tonks looked at him sheepishly, "Ah sorry, Harry. I cast a locking spell on it earlier."

She quickly cast the counter spell and Harry opened the door carefully. Scabbers made a mad dash to get by Harry's hand, but Harry had anticipated him. He grabbed the rat by the scruff of the neck and drew him out.

Scabbers was clawing at the air frantically, trying his hardest to escape, but Harry had a firm hold of the rat, not allowing him to gain his freedom. He turned towards Tonks and held the struggling rat away from his body.

Tonks drew a deep breath, brought up her wand and said softly, "_Ostnedo Sum Vis".*_

**XX HP + GW XX**

Mundungus popped into existence at his prescribed position in Hogsmeade, hoping that the contingencies that Albus had told him about would salvage the whole operation.

He waited patiently, knowing if things were going to go as planned that Tonks and Harry should be arriving in a matter of moments.

As the seconds ticked by, he began to fidget, knowing that the longer he was forced to wait, the less likely that things were going to go as planned.

He was just about to leave when he heard the soft pop of someone Apparating into the village close by. Bringing his wand up he waited to see if it was the pair he was waiting for.

Though the darkness he finally saw two people, but because of the distance and lack of light he couldn't tell if they were his quarry or not.

"Damn," he muttered, under his breath. To see if it was the Auror with his prize, he would need to move out from his concealed position. "Well, nut'in ventured," he thought and he began to creep forward.

He was just getting into position when he felt the hair stand up on the back of his neck, causing him to freeze. His eyes darted about and he slowly became aware that there were others in the area.

Mundungus knew he was between the proverbial rock and a hard place. What he thought was his target lay forward, but to get to him would expose him to being trapped, but to leave with out Harry meant sacrificing the 1000 Galleon bonus that Dumbledore had promised on his turning over of the boy to the Headmaster.

Keeping to the shadows as much as he could, Mundungus crept slowly forward. Suddenly his quarry was silhouetted against the sky and he saw he had a clear shot. "_Stupefy"_ he muttered softly.

He watched as the red beam closed on the first of the pair, but before he could cast the spell again, four red beams came from out of the darkness, directly at him.

Fortunately for the sneak-thief, the attackers had misjudged his position by a fraction and the spells rocketed by, one catching the edge of his cloak and blowing a hole in it.

"Shite!" Mundungus cried out at the closeness of his escape, and realizing he didn't have a Kneazle's chance, he Apparated away.

The five men closed quickly on Mundungus' position but as they neared they heard his expletive and the pop of his Apparating away.

"That war' Mundungus Fletcher, I'm shar of it. I'd know 'is voice inywar'" one of the men said.

"Aye, I'm shar it were too," said another. "Aberforth will be wanting to know that lille piece o' information."

They quickly revived their friend and headed off to the Hogs Head, where they knew Ab would show eventually, knowing that Mundungus would be long gone from his usual haunts.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Albus sat only half listening to one of the other Wizards of the executive committee of the Wizengamot. It was one of the prices he was paying to have a concrete alibi when Harry Potter was snatched.

Glancing at the clock on the mantle, he sighed and said, "Yes, yes, Wilbert, all every interesting, but it grows late and mayhaps it will be best if we take that up next time."

Wilbert looked at Dumbledore with a frown, it wasn't near as late as most of the meetings ran. "What's up, Albus?" he asked irritably.

"I have much to do before the start of the new term," Dumbledore replied, "and scant little time in which to do it."

Wilbert laughed lowly, "Need a new Defence teacher again this year, do you?"

"Alas, you are correct, we do seem to go through them at an alarming rate," the Headmaster replied.

"Yes, every year, it seems," said another member. "It's as if the job has been cursed."

Albus paled slightly, but not enough that any of the others noticed. He was fairly certain himself that it was probable that the job had been cursed, but he really didn't want that fact made public. It was getting hard enough to find qualified people to fill the position as it was.

"Do you think we should set a time for the next meeting," Wilbert asked. "We still have a lot to go over before the next full session."

Albus nodded, "Very well, how about next week at the same time?"

Everyone agreed that would be acceptable and within minutes the room had cleared out. Albus Dumbledore smiled to himself and hoped that things had gone well with the endeavour he had planned for earlier. All he needed to do was Apparate to the place that Mundungus was to be waiting and the evening will have been a success.

With a smile to himself, he exited the hall and Apparated away, confident that he would have Harry back under his control within a matter of minutes.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Everyone watched with anticipation as the spell shot at the rat Harry was holding. Most were holding their breath, but the one who was watching with the greatest intensity was Sirius.

He was visibly tense, thinking of the years he had spent in Azkaban, dreaming of this moment, when Wormtail would be exposed and he'd win his freedom back.

The spell hit Scabbers full on and a blue glow enveloped him. For a moment it seemed nothing was happening, but then Scabbers' body began to elongate as if he were made of melting wax. As his torso and feet stretched toward the ground, the rest of him began to widen, and as his feet hit, the last vestiges of the rat disappeared and the shape of a short, slightly rotund, rat-faced man solidified.

The blue light faded, and standing before them, Harry still holding him by the back of his collar, was Peter Pettigrew.

"Hello, Peter," Sirius said malevolently, "Bet you never expected to see me again, did you?"

Peter spun around and looked wide-eyed at Sirius, his mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water. He gasped several times, then his eyes rolled back and he fainted dead away. Falling out of Harry's grasp to the floor, with a thud.

"Well I'll be." said Kingsley, in astonishment.

"Is he okay?" asked Poppy.

"Who cares," Aberforth said, "It appears that Mr. Black was right."

"Yes," Minerva said, her voice quite shaky. "I owe you an apology, Sirius," she said sadly. "I accepted what I was told, even though in my heart I knew you would never have betrayed James and Lily."

Sirius smiled wanly at her, "I don't hold any ill will towards you, only to those who wrongly imprisoned me without the benefit of a trial."

Minerva got a shocked look on her face as did all of the other adults, "You never had a trial?" Arthur asked.

"No, Fudge and Crouch just sent me to Azkaban. They wouldn't even listen to me. Of course I wasn't very coherent to begin with. Between my anger at Peter and my grief at losing my two closest and dearest friends, well lets say I was in a right state and leave it at that," Sirius said, with a sad shrug.

"Well, I see no problem in clearing your name," said Kingsley. "I mean we have one of the people you supposedly killed. Can you tell us what really happened that night?"

Sirius sighed, "The short version is, in my grief and anger, I went after Peter, because I knew he was the only one who could have given Voldemort the information to expose where James and Lily were hidden. See, at the last moment I convinced James that I would be the obvious target as their secret keeper, so we chose Peter as a replacement."

"Why him?" Tonks asked.

Sirius looked at her with sadness, "Well, we had originally wanted to have Remus Lupin do it, but he was away at the time on Order business and since it had to be done quickly, we chose the only other Marauder available, never suspecting that he had turned traitor."

"He was never as brave as you other three," Minerva said. "Sometimes I wondered how he ended up in Gryffindor."

"Yes, seeing how he acted, I'm surprised he didn't end up in Slytherin," Poppy said.

All during this discussion, Harry had been very quiet, staring instead at the still form laying on the floor.

"_Are you okay?" _Ginny sent, feeling Harry's emotional turmoil.

"_I don't know, Ginny. Part of me wants to kill him as he lays there for what he did to my parents and me, but another part wants him to suffer and be sent to Azkaban, where he can rot in hell for what he has done," _Harry sent back.

"_Don't do anything rash, my love. As much as I think you have the right to extract your revenge, I don't want you to suffer the fate you wish for him."_

Harry nodded, "Can someone please remove this piece of filth from my presence?" he stated, looking quite grim.

Tonks came forward, "_Incarcerous," _she cast, thoroughly binding the supine figure before her.

Sirius looked at his former friend, and he shook his head slowly, "I blame myself, for ever talking James into changing the secret keeper."

"How could you have known?" Minerva asked.

"I should have!" Sirius said fervently, "I should have," he repeated almost as a whisper.

"Kingsley, are any of your "friends" still around?" Arthur asked.

Kingsley smiled at him, "I'm pretty sure several of them should have returned by now, after taking the others to the Ministry."

"Let's get Pettigrew out of here," Arthur said.

"Right. Let me go and get a couple of them," Kingsley said, turning toward the door.

Sirius then looked at Molly, "Would it be to much trouble to ask for some of your fabulous cooking?" he asked with a smile.

Molly was stirred from her contemplation of the events before her. "It wouldn't be any trouble at all," she replied.

Kingsley returned and levitated the still unconscious Wormtail, floating him out of the parlour to the kitchen so that the other Aurors could take him to the Ministry.

Sirius watched him go and said softly, "You should stun him, just in case."

The Auror who was taking charge of Wormtail, looked him and said, "I hardly think that is necessary. He's bound up tighter than a witches. . .".

"Jones! There are children present," barked Kingsley.

"Sorry, Chief," the man said, blushing as red as any Weasley.

The three Aurors headed out of the Burrow and towards the Apparation point. Sirius sat their tensely staring hard at where the men had just left.

Outside they suddenly heard a shout, and Kingsley, Tonks and several others hurried out to see what was the matter.

The three escorts were searching the grounds like mad, the ropes that had bound Pettigrew laying in a heap nearby.

Back in the parlour Sirius sat with a disgusted look on his face, shaking his head, he said, "I knew it. Wouldn't listen, would they." He rose and said, "Excuse me, Harry. I'll be right back."

Since Harry, Ginny and the Twins were all that remained in the parlour, and with the Twins looking out the doorway into the kitchen, only Harry and Ginny saw as Sirius transformed into a large black dog and watched as he streaked out, between everyone who were now exiting to help join the search.

Harry and Ginny followed him as he departed the Burrow. He made directly for the ropes and once there, his nose went to the ground. With a low growl, he began to run in the opposite direction of the searchers.

The Adults were searching from where Pettigrew had disappeared toward the edge of the wards, and it was obvious they were having no success.

Sirius was moving fast and toward the shed were Arthur kept all his Muggle things. When he was within three yards he suddenly pounced. The shrill screaming of a rodent could be heard and everyone turned and looked to see what was causing the commotion.

The large black dog came trotting back towards the group, a familiar rat held firmly in his jaws and though the rat was struggling a bit, it was clear that he wasn't going anywhere.

Sirius went right up to Kingsley and sat before him, holding Wormtail in his jaws. To Harry it looked like the dog really wanted to chomp down through the rat but was managing to control himself, just.

Kingsley's eyes widened, recognizing the rat by the missing front left toe. He gingerly reached down and grabbed the rat, using two hands to make sure it couldn't escape.

"Ron, go get your cage," Arthur called to his son.

"Y-yes, Dad," Ron replied, looking at the huge black dog that seemed to have materialized from nowhere.

Ron returned quickly and brought the cage over to Kingsley who deftly deposited Wormtail into it.

Tonks came over and said, "Better put a strong locking spell on the damn thing. It seems that escaping his cage has become a habit for him."

Kingsley nodded and with drew his wand and cast the locking spell, before handing the cage over to the three Aurors again.

"Here, don't loose him again. I suggest you make sure he is in a warded cell before you release him and turn him back into his human self," he said, sternly.

"Yes, Chief," Jones replied. "We won't let him get away again."

Only Harry and Ginny seemed to notice that as all this was happening, the large dog made his way back into the house. The amused pair followed him and weren't at all surprised when the dog changed back into Sirius, right where he had started from.

Harry chuckled, "I see you're an animagus too."

"That's right Harry. Your father, Peter and I all were," Sirius replied, smiling wanly at the couple.

"What about Moony, the other Marauder?" Ginny asked.

Sirius looked at her in surprise, "Very astute of you, Ginny. I may call you Ginny, can't I?"

"Are you really Harry's godfather?" she asked, watching Sirius carefully.

"Yes, I am," Sirius replied, evenly. "Though up till now, I haven't been much of one since the night his parents were murdered."

Ginny nodded, "Well, okay, I guess it's all right," she replied, a little hesitantly. "I mean, as long as you have nothing but the best of intentions for Harry, that is."

Sirius looked at Ginny for a moment, then glanced at Harry, before looking back at Ginny. "There's something special going on between you two, isn't there?" he asked.

"_What do you think, Harry? Should we trust him?" _Ginny sent.

"_My heart says yes, but my mind is saying to wait, find out more about him," _Harry replied to his bond-mate.

Sirius watched the two in front of him closely and he was sure that something was going on between them. If he didn't know any better, he thought that they seemed to be communicating in some way. Then it struck him, the only way that would be possible would be if they were connected and the only way for that to happen was the almost unheard of soul bonding.

"Never mind," he said, with a smile, much more relaxed. "I think I know what is between you and if I'm right, then I can see your reason for the hesitancy.

"_Do you think he's really guessed?" _Ginny asked.

Harry studied Sirius for a moment, "_Could be, or he may be trying to get us to reveal our secret. Let's just keep quiet about it for now."_

_Okay, Harry," _Ginny replied.

By now the others were filtering back into the room, most taking their previous positions.

Sirius looked at Arthur, "Would it be possible to have something to drink? Water, anything really, I seem to have a foul taste in my mouth."

Harry and Ginny couldn't help themselves and began to giggle, though most of the others had no idea why. Only Tonks, Minerva and Kingsley, weren't looking at them strangely. Their focus was on Sirius.

"Rather fortunate that dog came and captured Pettigrew. Wouldn't you say?" Kingsley said, addressing Sirius.

"Most fortunate," Sirius replied with a smile.

Kingsley looked at Minerva before looking back at Sirius. "I guess this means that you're a free man now, once some paperwork is completed."

"Ah, yes, the paperwork. Too bad no one thought about that twelve years ago," Sirius said, sarcastically.

"I'm truly sorry, Mr. Black, but I had nothing to do with that. In fact if I or my predecessor had known the circumstances of your imprisonment, we would have done something," Kingsley said, conciliatorily.

Sirius sighed, but then smiled at Kingsley, "What's past is past, and that can't be changed. If you could correct my false imprisonment, I'd wish to go back and change my decision and save James and Lily."

"What now?" asked Molly, looking around at the other adults.

"What do you mean?" Tonks asked.

"Well, What's going to happen with everything that has happened tonight?" Molly asked.

Kingsley looked at the others, "Well for now, I'm going to leave Mr. Black free on his own recognizance. I'm sure that with Peter Pettigrew in custody, he will be cleared of all charges."

He then looked around to Minerva, "As to the other events, it will depend if any of the captured kidnappers can identify who organized the whole débâcle, we can prosecute them. Without that, I'm afraid that someone will skate free for now," he said, not naming who they were sure was responsible.

Sirius looked troubled, "You mean that Peter didn't have anything to do with the attempt to snatch Harry?" he asked, his face a mask of concern.

"No, I'm fairly certain that he had nothing to do with it," Kingsley replied.

"Who, may I ask, is trying to kidnap my godson?" he asked, none to kindly.

Arthur stepped forward. "Maybe we can talk about that a bit later. It looks like you could do with a nice shower, a change of clothing and maybe some of that fine food you asked about. Perhaps we can discuss it then."

"A shower does sound enticing, but I have nothing to change into," Sirius replied.

"I'm sure we can come up with something for you," Molly said, her smile warm and welcoming.

Sirius looked around for a moment, taking in each and every person as they looked back at him. "Okay, sounds go to me. Show me the way to the shower and we'll talk later," he said with a smile.

Sirius had always been one to be able to read most people, his one glaring error, being Peter Pettigrew. Though he had his doubts about his courage, he had never conceived that he would betray James and Lily.

What he saw encouraged him. He could tell something major was going on and it seemed that Harry was in the centre of it. He supposed it had to do with the Prophecy that had forced James and Lily into hiding, but he wasn't 100% sure, yet. But what heartened him was the feelings and looks that all those assembled here, well except for the one Weasley boy, were there to look out for Harry and somehow, Ginny as well. One more thing that pointed to the fact that the young couple were bonded.

Sirius rose and Arthur led him upstairs. The others sighed and relaxed. It had been a very eventful evening and it seemed that though the excitement was over, things still were going to take place concerning Harry and Ginny.

**XX HP + GW XX**

**A/N: Well, that was interesting, Sirius had to recapture Wormtail. Why is it that people in authority never want to listen to lay people? Are they all that arrogant?**

**What part do you think Sirius will play now that he seems to have won his freedom? **

**As always, your reviews are greatly appreciated. **

**_Ostnedo Sum Vis_ - Reveal Nature (of)  
><strong>


	29. Harry's Last Gift

**Harry and Ginny: A Love Story**

**Chapter 29: Harry's Last Gift**

To say the Albus Dumbledore was mad, would be a big understatement, livid was a much better word to describe his emotional state at this point than anything else.

Thinking back to his meeting with Fletcher did nothing to alleviate his increasing level of ferocity.

Mundungus had been waiting quite impatiently at the little stone cottage deep in the countryside well away from prying eyes.

Albus knew immediately that something was wrong as soon as he stepped through the door. Mundungus' reaction was enough to tell him that, the way he cowered in the corner spoke volumes before Albus even noticed that Harry was missing.

Mundungus had explained how things had gone pear-shaped so quickly and that he considered himself lucky to have escaped at all, showing the headmaster the hole that had been blown in his cloak from the near miss of the spell that had been cast his way.

Albus had shook his head in disgust and thrown a few Galleons at him when the sneak-thief had complained about the damage to his "good" cloak, by then Albus Dumbledore was planning his next action to recover Harry into his custody, giving scant attention to the troubles of the somewhat dubious helper.

Seeing no reason to stick around, after Dumbledore had given him a few more Galleons, Mundungus had fled quickly, wanting to put as much distance between him and any possible pursuit as quickly as possible.

Dumbledore hardly paid any attention as he left, so engrossed was he in thinking about the events that had transpired, not that he had much concrete evidence other than the few scant pieces that he had been able to glean from Mundungus' remarks about what had happened.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Sirius stared into the mirror and tried to reconcile the old man staring back at him with the face he remembered from before he had been sent to Azkaban. "Twelve years, twelve long years," he muttered to himself.

Shaking his head to clear his mind, he smiled at himself. Yes, he was twelve years older, but he was now a free man. "Well, almost free," he corrected himself, just needing some final paperwork signed and the nightmare that had been his life would be over and it would be time to start a new chapter, one that included fulfilling his duties as a Godfather, and taking care of one Harry James Potter.

Now that he was finished showering, he looked back at his scruffy appearance in the mirror and decided a modification was in order.

He picked up the wand and hefted it in his hand for a moment, getting a feel for it's weight had balance. A warm feeling spread up his arm and into his body, just like the first time he felt it when his farther had purchased his very first wand, right before he had started at Hogwarts. He knew that the wand would work well for him because he had won the wand by right of conquest.

Smiling at the memory, he returned to the job before him, trimming his unruly hair and beard. Looking in the mirror he set right to work.

**XX HP + GW XX**

While most of the adults had gone out to the kitchen, Harry and Ginny remained behind in the parlour, taking their customary position on the small love seat, they spoke together about the events of the evening.

"_Ginny, I want to know something?" _Harry asked.

"_What's that, Harry?" _Ginny asked in return.

"_Do you think that I should just accept Sirius as my Godfather and let it go at that?"_ Harry asked earnestly.

Ginny sighed and sat contemplatively, "_Harry, I think that we can take our time about accepting Mr. Black as your Godfather, but I do think you need to give him that chance. Look at what he's done so far and your parents certainly trusted him."_

Harry nodded slowly, "_Yeah, I guess that's the safest thing to do. I mean, I feel I can trust him, but. . . ."_

"_Harry, you don't have to make any decisions at this time, there's no reason to rush anything, now is there?"_

Harry gave a low chuckle, looking appreciatively at his Bond-Mate. "_No, you are right, no need to rush in making a decision." _Harry then took her into a big hug, relishing the warmth he felt both physically and through the bond.

"_Thanks, Ginny. I don't know what I'd do without you," _he sent lovingly.

Ginny just returned Harry's hug, holding him just as tightly as he was her. Letting her actions and feelings speak for her.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Sirius had reappeared looking like a new man. He had showered, shaved and trimmed his hair. He actually looked like a completely different person. Though he still had a somewhat haunted air about him, he looked 1000% better than he had just a short time before.

As he he began his descent he ran into Arthur on the landing below the loo. Arthur smiled at him, a warm genuine smile, "Well now, that's just the ticket, eh? You look so different, that if I didn't know you, I'd hardly recognize you."

Sirius grinned, a gesture that felt so strange after twelve years without any type of happy thought, it felt odd, but in a good way.

"Arthur, may I ask you something?" he said softly.

"Certainly, Mr. Black, you can ask me anything," Arthur replied.

"Thanks, and by the way, please call me Sirius, all my friends call me that, and if Harry is staying here, I certainly want to be considered a friend," Sirius replied, still smiling.

"Okay, Sirius. What's your question?" Arthur replied.

"Harry and Ginny, they've Bonded, haven't they?" Sirius asked.

The smile fell off of Arthur's face, from shock that Sirius had figured it out, not from anything else. He was literally struck speechless for a moment.

Sirius looked a little bashful, "Sorry, if it's something you can't or don't wish to discuss, I understand," Sirius said.

Arthur gave himself a shake, "Not at all. You just took me by surprise," he replied. "Not many know and it's something we're trying to keep the wraps on for now."

Sirius nodded, "I can understand that. When and how did it happen?"

Arthur thought for a moment, "Come on down stairs and have some of Molly's fabulous cooking, and while you eat, we'll try and fill you in on what's been going on," he said with a smile. "It takes a bit of telling and it will be better on a full stomach."

"Lead on," Sirius replied, gesturing for Arthur to proceed him down the stairs, eager for some really good food in a long, long time and to hear what had been taking place with his Godson.

**XX HP + GW XX**

While waiting for Sirius to reappear, the children had gathered in the parlour. Tonks was there as well, along with of all people, Aberforth.

Percy seemed a bit restless, like he thought that hanging out with the younger children was beneath him or something, but Tonks was smiling and talking quite animatedly.

"Hey, Harry," said George.

"We never did get to see Ginny's gift to you," added Fred.

"My Gifts!" Harry exclaimed in surprise, having forgotten all about them in the chaos that had unfolded right as he had finished opening them.

""They're all fine, Harry," Aberforth said, reassuringly. "Minerva and I brought them inside after everything died down. They're right over here," he said, pointing at the table where Scabbers cage had been.

Harry rose quickly and went to the table, picking up Ginny's gift and looking at it intensely once again.

Ginny could feel his emotions swell once again as he took in the pictures. Though he felt strong emotions when looking at either one, she knew that the one that he liked the best, and felt the strongest about was the one where it was just her. She didn't know how she knew exactly, but she was positive that she was right.

Harry turned and handed the picture to Tonks, who happened to be closest. "Here, pass this around," he said softly.

Tonks nodded before she looked down at the photographs, smiling back at Harry. She took in the two photographs and was stunned by the serene and loving scene that was of the two young people so obviously in love, but it was the photograph of Ginny that took her breath away.

If she hadn't known how old Ginny was, she wouldn't have been able to guess by the photograph. She looked simply breathtakingly beautiful. Looking all the young woman, not the young girl that she actually was. There was an ethereal feeling to the shot and though Ginny wasn't enhanced in any way she looked much older, much more mature than the almost twelve year old that she was.

Once finished, she passed it around and as everyone looked at the photographs, they all took on a look of wonder at the sight of the two pictures.

Ginny was surprised when the Twins didn't make any flippant comments, but just looked at the photographs in wonder and awe, just like the others did.

Neville was the last to get a look, and when he was done, he handed it back to Harry. "Wow," he said softly. "You two look so good together." He then blushed, "So in love." He then sighed, "I have a picture of my Mum and Dad looking like that. You can tell they were meant to be together, just like I feel you two are."

Harry took the framed photographs back, glancing once more at them. "Thanks Neville," he replied, blushing slightly as he did so.

Percy was the one that broke the mood, glancing at the clock he said, "Well, it's getting late, I'm heading off to bed." He gave the other Weasley children a look that said he thought that they should be too.

Neville looked at the clock too, "I guess I should be going, Grams will be wondering why I'm so late," he said a bit sheepishly. He shook Harry's hand, "Happy Birthday, Harry. You sure know how to have an exciting party," he said with a grin.

Harry couldn't help but smile back, "Thanks for coming, Neville."

Ginny came and stood next to Harry, and without thinking about it, hugged Neville, "Yes, Neville, thanks for coming and sharing in Harry's birthday."

Neville seemed a bit taken aback by Ginny's hug at first, but then returned it, "I wouldn't have missed it for anything," he replied, grinning at her.

"You will come to Ginny's, won't you?" Harry asked.

"If it is half as exciting as yours, Harry, a wild Hippogriff, couldn't keep me away," he said with a huge smile.

After a few goodbyes to the Twins, Ron and Mrs. Weasley, Neville flooed away with Tonks as an escort, not so much as to keep him safe, but to explain to Neville's grandmother why he was a little later than expected.

Tonks assured Molly that she would be very circumspect in explaining the lateness and keep the kidnapping attempt a secret.

Molly then told the other children to head upstairs to get ready for bed, but asked for Harry and Ginny to come back down and join them in the kitchen where they would be filling Sirius in on what was going on.

Ron grumbled a little about Harry and Ginny being allowed to stay up but he quickly quieted after a stern look from his mother. The Twins just smiled at Harry and Ginny, who knew that they would be listening in via their secret method.

Percy had already departed after saying good night to the others and soon it way just the adults with Harry and Ginny in the kitchen, where they found Sirius eating a generous second helping of Molly's fabulous cooking.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Sirius had listened intently to the story of Harry's life including the rescuing of Ginny from the Chamber of Secrets and their subsequent Bonding.

He had been eating all the while, enjoying the first decent meal he had since his imprisonment. Though eating he asked very pointed and penetrating questions.

When they were done speaking, Sirius whistled lowly. "That's some story. I feel ashamed now that I let my emotions get the better of me back then. Harry never should have been forced to grow up like that. I should have gone with Hagrid and demanded that Harry be given to me to raise."

"How could you have known?" Arthur asked.

Sirius' face turned very dark, "Anyone who had the displeasure of meeting Lily's sister and her husband could have told you how they would have treated him," he said in disgust.

Minerva looked very uncomfortable, "I tried to tell Albus that when he left him there on the door step," she said sadly. "I should have done more too."

Sirius sighed and the dark look left his face, a thin smile forming as he looked at his old Professor, "What's past is past and we can't change it. All we can do now is try to make Harry's life better and give him the happiness that he has been missing up till now."

Molly looked at him and said, "Well, for all he's been through, he is a fine young man. You couldn't have ask for him to be a nicer, more compassionate boy than he is."

Sirius looked around at those there and saw the depth of feelings that they all had for his Godson. He knew with Harry being Bonded to Ginny, that here at the Burrow was the best place for him. He had a family that loved him, a wonderful circle of very good and powerful people around him that were determined to protect him. The only thing he wanted to know was where he could fit in and help.

Molly looked at Sirius a bit worriedly, as Harry's Godfather, he could contest the guardianship and she wasn't sure where that would leave everything they had done to protect Harry.

Sirius saw Molly's worried look, "Don't worry. Molly," he said with a smile, "I have no intention of changing things about Harry's situation other than ask what can I do to help."

Molly breathed a sigh of relief, but looked at Sirius with a little trepidation, "Am I that transparent?" she asked with a worried smile.

"Not really, but as someone who is also concerned for Harry, I knew what you must be feeling," Sirius replied. "I know wizarding Law enough to know that I could contest Harry's guardianship and and with the weight of James and Lily's will could probably win, but that would be counter productive and I have a life to re-establish. Harry is where he is safest and more importantly with those he truly needs to be with right now. He is in a loving family, with other children, most importantly, Ginny as they are Bonded. I have no intention of changing any of that."

Minerva looked troubled once more, "James and Lily had a will?" she asked.

Sirius turned to her and his shocked look said it all, "What do you mean?"

"No will was ever produced and read, Sirius," she said lowly.

Once more Sirius felt his anger rising, "Damn Albus to Hell!" he said emphatically. "He has a lot to answer for, and trust me, I am going to demand answers."

"Just tread carefully on that account," Minerva said, "He seems to be acting a bit shall we say high-handedly."

"Don't worry Minerva, I won't let my anger get the better of me again. If it's one thing I learned in Azkaban, it's patience and cool headedness," Sirius replied.

The others paled a little at his mentioning of Azkaban but he smiled back at them, "Listen, I know the impression you have of that place, and believe me, it's no picnic, but I learned to control my emotions because it keeps the Dementors off you. They feed off the emotions and will go towards those who are feeling them the most."

He then turned to Molly, "Would it be too much to ask for some more of you delicious cooking?"

Molly bound up, all in a dither, "It's no trouble at all, none at all," she said as she bustled around the kitchen, serving Sirius a generous second helping.

"Why don't we have Harry and Ginny join us, I'd like to get to know my Godson and his Bond-mate a little better," Sirius said with a smile, as he tucked into his meal.

"I'll get them," Molly said. "I'm up already," she added as she headed for the parlour.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Harry and Ginny entered the kitchen and were taken by the transformation that Sirius had undergone. No longer the scruffy, dirty and haunted looking individual that they had first met. He was now well groomed, and had taken on a lot of his former handsome self. Though he was painfully thin and still had an air of sadness about him, he did not in any way resemble the convict that had entered the house.

"Why don't you two sit down," Arthur said, smiling at the pair.

While the adults were getting settled and Harry and Ginny took seats across the table from Sirius, Tonks returned from escorting Neville home and joined the group. Some were seated at the table and the others stood at various places around the kitchen.

"_Well, looks like we have more to learn tonight,"_ Harry sent to Ginny.

"_This has really been one eventful birthday," _Ginny sent back, "_I hope you know that all your birthdays won't be this exciting."_

Harry couldn't help but laugh, drawing looks from several of those sitting nearby. "What's so funny?" Molly asked.

"Something Ginny said," Harry replied, his smile never leaving his face.

Molly's eyebrows went up in question, so Harry said, "She said that she hoped I knew that all my birthdays wouldn't be this exciting."

This caused everyone in the room to chuckle, "Yes, I agree with her," Arthur said, smiling at his daughter.

"So why are we here?" Harry asked, looking around at everyone.

"Well, we thought you should be told about what is going on," Arthur replied.

Harry looked a bit concerned and Arthur noticed right away. "Don't worry Harry, nothing is going to change about your staying here."

Harry sighed in relief, for one moment he thought things had changed. "Well, what's going to happen then?" he asked.

"Nothing really, Harry," Sirius said, "other than that I want to be able to help in taking care of you, helping in anyway that I can."

"Like what, Mr. Black?" Harry asked, looking at him intently.

"For starters, I'd like it if you would call me Sirius. Mr Black makes me feel much too old," Sirius said with a grin.

If he expected Harry to jump at the change, he was disappointed. Harry regarded him intently for several moments.

"_Is everything okay?" _Ginny asked.

"_Yes," _Harry replied, never taking his eyes off of Sirius.

Harry finally nodded, "Okay, Sirius, I can do that."

Sirius looked at Ginny, "What about you?"

"Since it's okay with Harry, it's okay with me," she replied.

Sirius nodded, though you could see his mind taking in the way in which Harry and Ginny had answered. "I also want to help contribute to your upbringing. I know Professor McGonagall is more than capable of handling things financially, but as your Godfather, I feel some of that responsibility is mine too."

Harry looked at Aunt Minnie, who smiled back at him and gave a small nod that she was agreeable.

Harry nodded back at Sirius, "I can accept that," he said softly.

"I'd also like to help with your education," Sirius added.

Harry looked at him questioningly, "Like what?" he asked slightly bewildered.

"Let's just say that your father and I had some unique ways of doing things," Sirius replied with a smile.

Minerva groaned out loud, "Is that really necessary?" she asked a bit dejectedly.

"I think so," Sirius replied. "With all that Harry will need to do, I think it will be if not necessary, at the least, quite helpful."

Everyone looked at Minerva, who sighed resignedly. "Well, if you must, I'm sure that James would want you to."

When Sirius paused, Harry asked, "Is that all?"

"I can also tell you a lot about your mum and dad," Sirius replied softly.

Ginny felt Harry tense, but she read the eager anticipation in his emotions through the Bond.

"I'd like that very much," Harry said, his voice choking with emotion.

Sirius saw how affected Harry was and he looked at the Weasleys and Minerva questioningly.

"The developments that brought Harry here are very recent, and we've not had any chance to talk to him about James and Lily," Minerva explained. "I'm sure we all can contribute stories about them."

Harry tightened his grasp on Ginny's hand. "_I can't believe it, I'll finally be able to find out the truth about my parents," _Harry sent, quite emotionally.

Ginny took Harry into a hug and held him close, "_Yes we both will be able to find out what wonderful people they really were," _Ginny replied.

Molly saw how emotionally effected that Harry was becoming and said, "I think it's time for bed for you two. It's getting late and it's been a very trying day, for all of us."

Harry nodded as he disentangled himself from Ginny's arms. "Okay," he replied, rising.

He and Ginny stood, though Harry looked longingly at Sirius, wishing he could hear about his parents right now.

It was as if Sirius had read his mind, "Don't worry, Harry, we'll have plenty of time to talk. I'm not planning on going anywhere."

"Thank you. Thank you all for caring about me," Harry said, looking at each and every one seated and standing in the kitchen.

"Happy Birthday, Harry," Sirius said, smiling at him.

Harry just nodded, his throat too tight to speak.

Ginny, sensing just how emotionally overcome he was, said "Thanks," and steered Harry towards the stairs. Harry glanced back over his shoulder as they reached the first step. His eyes taking in the assembled adults, coming to rest on Sirius last of all. With a nod, he let Ginny lead him up to their bedroom.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Minerva was the one who broke the silence, "What are your immediate plans, Sirius?"

Sirius ran his hands through his hair, "Where to begin?" he said more to himself. "I guess first I need to find a place to stay until I can get the legal matters handled, then find a place to live," he said.

"Won't you be going back to your family home?" Kingsley asked.

"Grimmauld Place?" Sirius replied, with a small shudder. After a moments contemplation, he said, "I don't think so. It's been abandoned for ten years and who knows what shape it's in. Plus I never really cared for the place anyway."

Molly glanced at Arthur, who she was sure was about to offer for him to remain at the Burrow. It wasn't so much that she didn't trust him, it was . . . well she wasn't sure why she was reluctant to offer. She just knew that she would feel better if he didn't live at the Burrow.

Before Arthur had a chance to speak up, Aberforth spoke, "He can stay as long as he wishes at the Hogs Head."

"Thank you, Aberforth," Sirius said, sincerely.

"If your not going to go back to Grimmauld Place, where will you go?" Minerva asked.

"I was thinking of one of the family lodges, probably the one nearest Hogwarts, Windmeer," Sirius said, wistfully.

"Wouldn't that be in just as bad of a condition as Grimmauld Place?" asked Tonks.

"No, dear cousin, the lodges all have preservation spells on them because they weren't used regularly," Sirius replied. "Though it will still probably take some work to make it habitable."

"If you need any help, I'd be willing," Tonks added, "mum always talked fondly about visiting there."

"And I could lend you and elf or two from McGonagall manor," Minerva said.

Sirius raised and eyebrow at her but said, "I may just take you up on that."

Minerva nodded, she knew Sirius probably thought she was trying to make up for not giving him the benefit of the doubt about his involvement in the deaths of James and Lily, but she didn't care, she would have offered anyway.

Sirius yawned deeply, "Molly, thank you so much for the delicious meal, it far surpassed my memories of the last time I was here."

"Thank you, Sirius and please, don't be a stranger. Harry will love to hear all you can tell him about his parents, you did know them the best of any of us," Molly said, smiling at his compliment.

"I won't be, but it may take a few days till I can get settled," Sirius replied, rising. "I could use that room now, Aberforth," he said, turning to the inn keeper.

"Just use the floo and tell Jimmy that I said you are to have room seven and he'll take care of you," Aberforth said with a smile.

"Will I see you there later?" Sirius asked, giving the man a grin.

Aberforth's gaze slid to Minerva, "Ah, I have previous plans for this evening. I'll see you tomorrow."

Sirius didn't miss the glance at his old Professor and knew that there was a story there, but that was a subject for another day. "Arthur, thanks for the clean clothes, I'll return them when I get some of my own."

"No hurry," Arthur said, with a smile.

As Sirius got ready to leave, Tonks came over and gave him a hug. "It's good to know that you really didn't do it, Mum will be so pleased to hear, she never did believe that you were responsible."

"Thanks, Dora," Sirius said, holding her in the hug for a moment. "Tell her I'll stop by in a day or two so that we can catch up."

"She'll be glad to see you," Tonks said, letting Sirius get away with calling her by her given name.

Sirius yawned once again, "I really must get going," he said, apologetically.

Poppy looked at him and said, "I'd like to stop by in the morning and if you're willing, give you a check up. No telling what all those years in Azkaban did."

Sirius nodded, "Probably a good idea. I'll see you in the morning then." With one last look around, he nodded and stepped to the floo and in a matter of moments he was gone.

Since it was late, the others started to depart too. It had been a strange and eventful evening and all were tired because of what had taken place.

Soon only Molly and Arthur remained, "Well this certainly has been one birthday that this house will not soon forget," Arthur said.

"That's for sure," Molly replied. "I just hope that it was a happy one for Harry. He certainly has had enough heartaches."

"All in all, I think it was," her husband said, as he wrapped an arm around his wife. "Now lets get to bed too, I'm sure tomorrow will be another full day."

**XX HP + GW XX**

Harry and Ginny lay together, neither feeling the least bit sleepy as of yet. The events of the day having them too wound up.

"_Harry, do you really trust Sirius?" _Ginny asked.

Harry sighed and pulled Ginny into his side a little more. "_Yeah I do, Ginny. I __mean his story checked out and he was my fathers best friend. Besides, he is my godfather, that has to count for something."_

"_Yes, I agree," _Ginny replied.

Harry let his thoughts drift to the few memories that he had from his time with his parents. Though few, they were all happy ones.

Ginny felt his emotions again and knew somehow where his thoughts had taken him.

"_I'm sure you'll have more happy memories and you'll also get to really know what kind of people your parents really were," _she sent to him.

"_How come you always seem to know just what to say,"_ Harry sent, smiling at Ginny.

"_Because I'm your Bond-mate, silly," _Ginny sent.

Harry hugged Ginny and buried his face in her hair, taking a deep breath of her flowery fragrance, letting it fill him with the calm that he had come to associate with her aroma.

"_This has really been some birthday. First all the presents and then finding out about Wormtail and having my Godfather freed," Harry said._

Ginny hugged tighter into Harry. "_I know, it's like you received an extra gift, and I'm glad that he'll be able to tell you about your parents."_

Ginny felt Harry's emotions flare, his happiness flooding across the Bond at the thought of finally finding out the truth about them. She gently moved up so that she could kiss him.

Harry was a little surprised, but didn't object to Ginny's advances. It slowly turned into a very intense snogging session, coupled with some tender touching, and caressing but nothing more. It was just two young lovers getting acquainted with each other rather innocently.

Each enjoyed the closeness that they were sharing, feeling the love between them grow as they snuggled, nuzzled and touched one another. Knowing that in the future, more would be shared, but content for the moment with what they were sharing.

As Harry relaxed, Ginny once more snuggled tightly into his side. "Thank you, Ginny," Harry whispered.

"Any time," Ginny replied, thoroughly enjoying the warmth and love she felt from Harry.

Sighing contently, Harry felt Ginny drift off to sleep and he let his thoughts drift. They were filled with his parents, his life at the Burrow and his Bonding with Ginny. He thought about how the simple act of wondering about a stupid Rat led to justice and freedom for Sirius.

Slowly he drifted off to sleep, marvelling at how wonderful it felt to have Ginny tucked in his arm and also wondering what the new day would bring.

**XX HP + GW XX**

**A/N: The Rat has been exposed and Sirius freed, well mostly. Hope the Rat stays in custody. Sirius has a lot on his plate and wonder how he'll deal with Albus, but he has reentered Harry's life and that will be a good thing, for both of them.  
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**Harry and Ginny have one more person in their corner and it seems Harry is getting all his wishes granted. **


	30. New Beginnings

**Harry and Ginny: A Love Story**

**Chapter 30: New Beginnings**

Albus Dumbledore was pacing furiously in his office, the latest news to reach him from the Ministry had him in a very agitated state. Sirius Black was free and in his place Peter Pettigrew had been captured and exposed as the one who had betrayed the Potters to Lord Voldemort.

That in itself wasn't very troubling, it was the consequences of his actions all those years ago that he knew were going to come back to haunt him. At the time he had done nothing to check on the facts and he had let Sirius be imprisoned without the slightest thing being done on his behalf.

At the time Albus had put it down to his concern for Harry's well being but in reality he knew he had just let things go, concentrating more on issues he deemed more important than the guilt or innocence of one man.

Try as he might, he couldn't figure out how to use the event to his best interest.

The only thing he could think of was the outside chance that he could persuade Sirius to help him regain control of Harry. It would probably be a hard sell, but he was hopeful that he could pull it off. He'd have to word his argument carefully, trying to make sure that it seemed he was only concerned about Harry's welfare and not that he was doing anything else.

Yes great care would be needed and he wondered what Sirius' years in Azkaban had done to the man. Most long tern residents of the prison came out much changed than the person that went in.

Albus grabbed a piece of parchment and wrote a short note, asking to meet with Sirius at his earliest convenience, sealed the roll with his wand and went over to Fawkes.

The Phoenix trilled at him uncertainly, causing the Headmaster to frown slightly. "Please take this to Sirius Black," he said softly.

Fawkes eyed him for a moment and Albus got the distinct impression that his familiar wasn't thrilled with the idea.

"I know, Fawkes, but it must be attempted. With Mr. Black's help we can get back on track."

Fawkes looked him in the eye for a few moments before launching into the air and disappeared in a flash.

Albus sighed softly, even Fawkes was expressing doubts, but he knew he couldn't let that dissuade him, too much was at stake.

He went over to the window and looked out over the grounds of the school, deep in thought about what was needed before Harry would be ready for what he would be required to do.

It was a long time before he went back to his desk to get back to work on the pile of parchments that never seemed to get any smaller.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Sirius was up and eating his breakfast at the table farthest from the door in the Hogs Head. He was sitting in the corner, back to the wall and reading the _Daily Prophet._

To him it was a wonderful thing to be reading the news when it wasn't a week or more old. That was what he normally got at Azkaban if he wasn't able to lift one from the guards.

He was just beginning to enjoy his second cup of tea when Fawkes flashed into existence in front of him. The Phoenix landed gracefully on the table, trilled softly, before dropping a sealed parchment before Sirius.

When Fawkes didn't leave immediately, Sirius figured the bird was waiting for a reply.

He broke the seal, unrolled the scroll and began to read. Though the note didn't really say much, it was the sender that made Sirius frown.

_**Dear Mr. Black,**_

_**I am delighted to hear of your being cleared of all charges and of your being granted your freedom.**_

_**I would like to meet with you at your earliest convenience to discuss a matter of some urgency.**_

_**Please send your reply with Fawkes.**_

_**Your servant,**_

_**Albus Dumbledore.**_

Sirius snorted derisively, guessing full well what Albus wished to discuss. Shaking his head he looked across the room to the young man behind the bar.

"Jimmy, could I trouble you for a piece of parchment and a quill?" he said.

"Sure thing, Mr. Black," Jimmy replied. He took a small piece of parchment and a quill from under the Bar and with his wand sent it over to Sirius.

"Thanks, Jimmy, and what did I say about that Mr. Black business?" Sirius said with a smile.

"Ah, okay. . . Sirius," the young man said, somewhat sheepishly.

Sirius took the parchment and quill, penning a quick reply:

_**Professor,**_

_**I am in the process of re-establishing myself s it will be several days till I will have sufficient time to devote to a meeting of the magnitude you suggest.**_

_**I will contact you towards the end of the week with a date that will work for me.**_

_**Respectfully yours,**_

_**Sirius Black.**_

Sirius sealed the parchment with his wand and handed it back to the waiting Phoenix.

Fawkes trilled a soft melodic sound that spoke to Sirius, conveying a sense of regret and sorrow, giving him the notion that the Phoenix understood his feelings about being falsely imprisoned in Azkaban.

Sirius nodded slowly, softly stroking Fawkes' neck feathers. "Thank you," he said lowly.

Fawkes trilled a happier tune, bobbed his head, then launched himself into the air, where he circled once before disappearing in a flash of fire.

Sirius was in deep thought when he was startled by a voice nearby. "Got a note from Albus, did ya," he heard as more of a statement than question.

Sirius looked up to see Aberforth Dumbledore looking at him.

Sirius smiled, "Who else would I have gotten a message from with such a delivery carrier," he said.

Before Aberforth could say another word, Sirius held up the note from Albus, offering it for Aberforth's perusal.

Ab cocked and eyebrow, but took the proffered parchment and quickly read it.

"Hmmmm, I'd say Albus is looking for an ally," Aberforth said slowly.

Sirius nodded, "So it would seem," he replied thoughtfully.

"Do ya mind me asken what your answer might be?" Ab said lowly.

Sirius looked at the second Dumbledore and smiled after a moment. "I don't mind you asking at all. If Albus thinks I'm just going to forget all that has happened and his part, or lack thereof, he has a rude awakening coming."

Aberforth nodded knowingly, "Always underestimating his potential allies. One of his greatest faults," the older man said sadly. "Only looking at what they can do for him and not at the person themselves."

Sirius stared off into space, a grimness settling on his features. "Not one attempt to contact me in twelve years to hear my side of the story," he said bitterly.

"As sad as I am to say it, he didn't see any benefit in doing so," the Inn Keeper said softly.

Sirius glanced at him, "Always calculating and plotting," he muttered.

Aberforth could only nod in agreement, knowing that statement was the truth about his older brother.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Arthur Weasley sat at his desk, staring at a report but in reality he hadn't read farther that the first line. His mind was firmly locked on going over the events of the previous evening.

Sirius' appearance, along with the exposure of Ron's rat as none other than the supposedly dead Peter Pettigrew weighing on his mind. Well actually, the fact of Sirius' imprisonment without a trial was the main focus of his ruminations.

For quite some time the Weasley patriarch had been coming to the conclusion that there was something rotten in the Ministry and this added fact did nothing to dissuade him, in fact it further cemented that thought in his brain.

That two of the most senior members of the Ministry, Millicent Bagnold, the then Minister of Magic, along with the then head of the MLE, Bartimus Crouch, could send someone off to Azkaban without a trial, troubled him greatly.

Giving up the pretence of reading the report, Arthur dropped it on his desk and he stared at the ceiling.

His thoughts were disrupted by Kingsley Shacklebolt's arrival.

"Hi Arthur," the large Auror said.

"What brings you here?" Arthur replied, smiling at the Auror.

"I wanted to show you something," Kingsley replied.

He proceeded to open a folder and drew out a piece of parchment. "Take a note of the signatures," he said softly.

Arthur quickly looked at the bottom of the parchment. The first signature was that of Bartimus Crouch Sr., the then head of the MLE. It was the second one that surprised him.

There on the order sending Sirius Black to Azkaban was the signature of Cornelius Fudge, Undersecretary acting on behalf of Minister of Magic Millicent Bagnold.

Arthur's eyes shot up to the man seated across from him. "It was Fudge?" he said in surprise.

"Yeah," replied Kingsley. "From what I was able to find out from some of the old timers here, it was Crouch that wrangled to get Fudge into that Under Secretary's position. The rumour is that old Bagnold wasn't as cooperative as Crouch would have liked, so whenever he needed something done that she wouldn't have gone along with, he'd have Fudge do it on her behalf."

Arthur let out a long low whistle. "That certainly puts a different light on things," he said softly.

Kingsley nodded. "It explains a lot that went on back then."

"Is Fudge aware that Sirius has been freed?" Arthur asked pointedly.

"Yeah, he found out just a little while ago," said Kingsley. "From what I hear he almost fainted when he was told." The Auror then laughed, "I would of liked to have been there when he had to sign Sirius' release papers."

Arthur made a disparaging noise, letting his thoughts on Fudge's credibility be known, but he did join in with a chuckle on picturing the Minister signing Sirius' release.

"Just be careful, Arthur. While not a brave man, he is a vindictive one who is know to use his position to get back at anyone who he thinks isn't on his side," Kingsley said softly.

Arthur nodded in understanding, "I'll be careful when it comes to our Minister," he said lowly.

"Good, because the Ministry can ill afford to lose someone like you. You actually do your job and do it very well from everything I hear," said Kingsley with a smile.

The large man then rose, "Well I need to get going, I've got to deliver Sirius' official release papers to him."

"Give him my regards," Arthur said with a smile.

"That I will," Kingsley replied as he exited Arthur's small office.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Cornelius Fudge, the current Minister of Magic was incensed, having journeyed deep into the bowels of the Ministry to see for himself the prisoner reported to be Peter Pettigrew. Once arriving he was outraged to find the man being held in a heavily warded and substandard sized cell.

"I'm telling you that I will not have someone in custody under my regime being held in such a place. You will move him at once to a standard cell!" he said forcefully.

"But sir," the head guard tried to say, "The orders state clearly that he is to be held in a maximum security holding cell."

"I'm telling you otherwise," Fudge said indignantly.

The guard sighed, "I understand sir. Let me just check with the MLE head and I'm sure we can get this all straightened out."

"And I'm telling you to move this prisoner immediately," Fudge said emphatically. "If you don't, I'll have you brought up on charges of insubordination!"

"Please, sir," the guard pleaded. "It's against regulations to move him without proper authorization."

Fudge looked at the man malevolently, "Listen hear, I am the Minister of Magic, I am authorizing it."

"But sir . . ."

"Now or you'll be out of a job before you can say Kneazle!" Fudge shouted.

Sighing, the guard shook his head. He didn't know what the repercussions would be, but he had a bad feeling about the whole affair.

"Right away, sir," he said with a strained voice.

Smiling smugly Minister Fudge turned and strode away. If there was one thing he wasn't going to stand for it was insubordination in any form.

Dashing off a note that he sent off to the MLE's floor, he grabbed his wand and cancelled the wards on the cell. He got an uneasy feeling when the prisoner smiled gleefully at him, causing a shiver to run down the guards spine. He was sure nothing good was going to come of this as sure as he was standing there.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Harry and Ginny were laying in bed, just relishing the feeling of being with each other when they heard. "_I want to compliment you on the way you handled yourself last night."_

"_Arwain?" _Ginny asked.

"_Who else?"_ they heard humorously.

"_You saw what happened?" _Harry asked.

"_Of course," _Arwain replied.

"_How?" _Ginny asked, quite perplexed.

"_I was there," _Arwain said with a chuckle.

"_But. . . how?" _Harry said with a slight frown.

"_I'm with you always. I'm now joined with you two."_

Harry and Ginny looked confused, unsure just what that implied.

Arwain felt their confusion and laughed, "_Don't worry, it's just part of the Magic of the Heart that you two now possess. I am in no way part of, or can affect your Bond, if that's what you're worried about."_

Harry and Ginny breathed a sigh of relief. Being Bonded with each other was enough of a thing to deal with. They didn't need anything more for the moment.

"_It's nice that your Godfather could finally be freed. It was such a miscarriage of justice for him to be condemned without a trial. I, for one, am happy that has finally been rectified."_

"_You knew he had been wrongly imprisoned?" _Harry asked with a frown.

"_Yes I did, Harry, but unfortunately there was nothing I could do to alter that fact. I have knowledge of many things but can not interact with the present except through you two, now that you have called me forth," _Arwain said, a bit sadly.

"_What else do you know?" _Harry asked.

"_Now is not the time for that," _Arwain said good humouredly.

When Harry frowned, Arwain said softly, "_All in good time, Harry. Neither of you is ready for what is to come yet and learning most things now would actually be counter productive. You will just need to trust me on this."_

Harry nodded, knowing that Arwain was right. He just wished he felt like he had a better grasp on what was to come.

"_All right you two, it's time to start your education," _Arwain said with a smile.

"_What will we be learning?" _Ginny asked evenly.

"_First off, we will work on strengthening your Bond and then on increasing your magical power," _Arwain replied.

"_Strengthening our Bond?" _asked Harry.

"_Yes, think of it like a muscle for a moment. Remember when you first started playing Quidditch?"_

"_Yes," _said Harry, wondering where Arwain was going with that.

"_Remember how much you hurt after practising at first?"_

Harry nodded. Those first practices had been real killers and he remembered thinking how much it had hurt after each and ever one of them.

"_Well, like your physical body, the Bond will become stronger the more you use it,"_ Arwain explained. "_Do you know what would happen if your Bond was broken? s_he asked.

"_What?" _asked Ginny.

Even without knowing, to Harry the consequences were too horrible to contemplate. He just knew that he didn't ever want to be separated from Ginny.

"_You'd both die," _Arwain said softly.

"_Oh!" _Ginny said fearfully.

Harry felt a shudder run up and down his spine and he had to control his emotions.

"_This will be unpleasant, but I think you both need to experience this," _Arwain said lowly. "_I will be as gentle as I can, but you need to know."_

Suddenly they felt a pressure that neither one could explain but the pain and panic it caused were terrible. Both cried out involuntarily. As fast as it started it was gone, but it left them pale, shaken and sweating.

" _I was as gentle as I could be, barely touching the Bond. If I had pushed any more, I could have broken the Bond,"_ Arwain said gently. _"Right now your Bond is rather fragile. If you were assaulted right now, you wouldn't last long."_

"_How do we strengthen it?" _Harry asked.

"_There are some exercises that you can do," _Arwain said with a touch of humour. _"First you need to sit facing one another."_

She waited till they had gotten in position before continuing.

"_Now slide forward till your knees are touching."_

Harry and Ginny both scooted forward a little till their knees came into contact.

"_Take each others hands," _Arwain said, her voice dropping to a whisper.

Harry and Ginny reached forward taking the others hands in theirs.

"_Look deep into the others eyes and concentrate on the other. Feel out with your mind, let yourself become open to your Bond-Mate."_

Harry and Ginny locked eyes. At first it seemed strange, but as they relaxed with their bodies, they felt something growing between them, something more than they already had.

"_Let your love for one another flow between you, let it draw you into the other, let it fill you," _she whispered softly.

The longer they stared, the longer they touched, the stronger they felt their love grow. Slowly at first then with a growing intensity, both felt the love they had for each other grow higher and higher.

To an outsider, all they would have seen is two people sitting facing one another, barely moving, the slow rising and falling of their chests as they breathed the only movement.

To Harry and Ginny it was as if the rest of the world faded away and all that existed was the one across from them. Both felt the other more deeply than ever before and the feeling was almost overwhelming.

They felt their souls swirl around the others, soaring higher and higher, intertwining, strengthening the bond between them. Forging the two halves into one stronger, deeper whole.

Where before they thought they had been bound together, now they realized it had been more like a bridge between them. Now the bridge was growing shorter, the space between them compressing and widening from what had been a narrow band ito something much wider, much stronger.

"_That's enough for now,"_ they heard dimly.

To Harry and Ginny it seemed that only a few moments had gone by, but as they separated they heard the clock striking Ten and they realized it had been more than an hour.

Both had huge smiles on their faces and a feeling of contentment deeper than they had ever felt before. It was as if they were experiencing it all for the first time again.

"_You should try to do that exercise at least once a day, either in the morning, or just before you go to bed at night," _their guide explained.

Eyes still locked, Harry and Ginny leaned forward and shared a tender kiss.

"_We will," _Ginny replied languorously.

"_I'll leave you now, as you need to get downstairs before you're missed."_

"_Thank you, Arwain," _Harry said softly, still feeling the wonder of being entwined with Ginny.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Sirius sat on the edge of his bed, watching Madam Pomfrey closely, trying to read her expression as she poked and prodded him seemingly everywhere.

He suffered it all stoically knowing it was really all for his own good, but he couldn't help but recall similar situations back during his Hogwarts days.

He was startled out of his reminiscing by the matron nudging him and saying, "Here, drink this," as she handed him a goblet.

He downed the goblet's contents and grimaced at it's bitter taste. Shuddering involuntarily as the potion made it's way into his stomach.

"And this," he heard as another goblet was handed to him.

He eyed Pomfrey darkly as he took the proffered goblet. To his surprise the second one was much more pleasant to drink.

He heard her chuckle at his surprise over the taste of the second potion.

"It's a nutrient supplement," she said, her voice full of humour.

"So what's the verdict?" he asked.

Madam Pomfrey motioned for him to put his shirt back on.

"You are rather malnourished and a bit run down. Other than that you are in remarkable shape for someone who has been incarcerated for so long." the matron said.

"Well I did travel three quarters the length of Britain on foot," Sirius replied.

"As a dog," she said with a laugh.

She then placed a flagon on the nightstand. "Take 6 ounces of this every evening for the next week."

Sirius eyed it with some trepidation.

"It's the good tasting one," Poppy said with a laugh.

Sirius couldn't help but smile at her, "Thanks Madam Pomfrey," he said sincerely.

"Since you are no longer a student and from what I heard last night, you can call me Poppy. All my friends do," the matron replied with a smile.

"Okay, Poppy," Sirius replied with a smile of his own. "What do you mean about what you heard last night?" he asked.

Poppy looked at him appraisingly for a moment, "You're on Harry's side," she said plainly.

"Of course I'm on Harry's side," he replied a bit tensely.

"Don't get your dander up," she said tersely. "What I mean is that you've joined the rest of us in protecting Harry."

Sirius cocked his head and looked at her. "Though I wasn't aware of joining, I am aware of the group who have taken upon themselves the task of taking care of Harry and by extension Ginny."

Poppy cocked an eyebrow at Sirius, her surprise written on her face.

"I'm aware of the special relationship that they share," he continued softly.

"Are you?" she asked dubiously.

"Yes, I am," Sirius stated categorically.

Poppy considered him for a moment, "Then you understand why we have chosen to do what we are doing," she said softly.

Sirius nodded, "Rest assured that Harry is my main priority. I owe Lily and James that."

Poppy felt the sadness that emanated from the man seated before her. "We all do," she said.

Sirius smiled wanly at her. "I feel I have a lot to make up for."

"As you said last night, we can't change the past," Poppy replied softly.

Sirius could only nod in response, his thoughts clouded with what he deemed his short comings concerning that fateful night so many years ago.

He was broken out of his reverie by Poppy saying, "I need to get going."

Smiling warmly at her, Sirius said, "Thank you for coming to see me."

Poppy smiled back, "Take care Sirius and I'm sure we'll be seeing each other."

When Sirius looked at her questioningly, she laughed and said, "Concerning our young Mister Potter."

Sirius couldn't help but laugh too. "Here I thought you were implying that I'd need your services again."

Poppy laughed even louder, "Well, I'm sure that will probably be a real possibility too," she added humourously.

"You know, I don't think I've ever heard you laugh before," Sirius said with a grin.

"Well, you've never seen me outside of Hogwarts before," Poppy replied with a wide smile.

"I think I like this Pomfrey," Sirius said.

"Well, thank you, but I really must get going. See you around Sirius," Poppy said as she grabbed her bag and headed out the door.

She paused on the threshold giving one last glance at Sirius. After all his time in Azkaban, he was still a handsome man. Though Poppy was about 10 years his senior, she was still a woman.

Sighing, she shook her head and closed the door behind her. She really didn't need to get involved with someone at the moment. Though if she did, she knew she wouldn't mind getting involved with someone younger than herself and if she did, she sure wouldn't mind if it was Sirius.

**XX HP + GW XX**

At the Ministry of Magic several things were happening at once. Kingsley Shacklebolt had just received the memo from the guard in charge of taking care of Peter Pettigrew.

As his eyes scanned the parchment, Kingsley couldn't believe what he was reading and he had a sense of foreboding. "Why in Merlin's name didn't that dolt send this as urgent!" he said out loud to no one in particular.

He bolted up from his desk and hurried for the lifts, perhaps there was still time to avert a catastrophe.

Deep in the MLE's lockup, Peter Pettigrew finished his meal, the first he had eaten as a human in almost 12 years. He sighed satisfactorily and glanced at the bars containing him.

Though no longer in the maximum containment cell, wards were still in place that would prevent him from exiting in that direction, even as his animagus self. Smiling he looked at the floor and in the corner he looked at the drain that was situated there.

With a broad smile he concentrated on his rat form and in moments he had shrunk down to his diminutive alter ego. Without a look back, he ran to the drain and scurried down the pipe.

It was moments later that the guard came to collect Pettigrew's tray. The man was so used to his routine he didn't even notice at first that the cell was empty.

"Tray to the door," he called out lazily.

When nothing happened, he looked closer, his eyes scanning the cell for the prisoner that was supposed to be there.

With eyes widening in disbelief he mutter "Oh Shite!" and hurried back to the guard station to raise the alarm.

Kingsley was just exiting the lift when he heard the klaxon sounding and he knew immediately what it signified. Closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, he tried hard to contain his anger.

"Damn Fudge to hell," he muttered under his breath. "Nothing to do now but report everything to his boss, Amelia Bones, the current head of the MLE.

Deep below the Ministry, Wormtail found a wider pipe and communicating with a nearby rat he got his bearings and headed away from the Ministry. Coming to the conclusion that if the Wizarding World of Britain was looking for him, perhaps it was time to take a little holiday to the continent and see if there was any truth to the rumours concerning the Dark Lord.

Maybe if he played his cards right, he could win back the good graces of Lord Voldemort. Anything was better than spending the rest of his life locked up in Azkaban.

Sighing, he turn in the direction the other rat had indicated and he began scurrying forward. It would be an arduous journey, but it was all he had at the moment.

In the distance behind him he heard the faint echo of the klaxon sounding. His absence had been noted but that didn't concern him. His only thoughts now on getting as far from the Ministry as quickly as possible. Then finding passage on a ship heading for France, Italy or even Germany. If the rumours were correct, he needed to head to Romania. That was where he needed to go to find his destiny.

**XX HP + GW XX**

It was late at night at the Burrow and Harry suddenly sat up in bed, awoken by some unknown force. Ginny stirred beside him, "_What's wrong, Harry?"_

Shaking his head, Harry said, "_I'm not sure. All I know is something is happening and it won't bode well."_

He slowly laid back down next to Ginny, his mind troubled by the uneasy feeling that he couldn't shake.

Ginny could feel Harry's uneasiness. ""_What is it?" _she asked softly.

"_I'm not sure, but something has happened,"_ he replied, frowning.

"_Do you know what?" _Ginny asked, concerned by Harry's troubled countenance.

Harry tried concentrating hard but he couldn't make out anything concrete.

"_Arwain?" _he called out.

"_What is it, Harry?" _she replied.

"_Do you know what is happening?" _he asked, his mind still troubled.

They heard their guide sigh, "_All I can tell you that things are about to change. Events are unfolding that were foretold and the road to the final confrontation is now being set."_

When she felt Harry's and Ginny's unease she added, "_There is still plenty of time before things come to a head, but you must not think about that yet. Much is still to happen before you will be called upon to play your part."_

Arwain then said softly, "_Sleep now and we will talk more in the morning. Rest assured that what is taking place is beyond your control or ability to affect."_

Though the young couple still felt uneasy, they soon found themselves drifting back to sleep. Arwain sending a calming influence to them. "_So it has begun," _she said to herself.

She "looked" at the sleeping couple and her heart went out to them. It was still too early for them to know what ultimately would befall to them to accomplish. Many trials still awaited them before they would have to battle for the fate of the world.

Though in the future, no one knew exactly how long this young, loving, compassionate pair would have. Arwain hoped and prayed they would have enough time and the skill when the confrontation finally took place. She would try her hardest to make sure they were prepared, but there were no guarantees and she worried about how it would effect them.

**XX HP + GW XX**

**A/N: So it begins, the road to Riddle's resurrection and ultimately the battle between good and evil. There is still a lot to happen before then, but it is starting.**

**As always, please review.**


	31. Interlude

**Harry and Ginny: A Love Story**

**Chapter 31: Interlude**

Harry and Ginny awoke much earlier than normal, the soft predawn light casting a dim shine through the window.

"_Good morning, my love,"_ Ginny sent with a smile as she snuggled into Harry's side more tightly.

"_Good morning to you too," _Harry replied as he tightened his arm around Ginny.

Both were feeling the added closeness of their strengthened Bond. Harry turned slightly so that he was facing Ginny more directly and he smiled as he looked into her beautiful eyes.

"_Do you think we can practice the strengthening exercise like this?" _he asked softly.

Ginny smiled at him, their nakedness making their skin to skin contact at it's maximum and as she gazed lovingly into Harry's emerald eyes she said, "_I don't know why not."_

Once again they locked eyes and let their love begin to flow between them and as before, the world shrunk till it was nothing but the other. Time lost all meaning as they lay in their tight embrace.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Sirius was just coming back down the stairs when he spied Kingsley coming through the door. It was very apparent the he was very, very unhappy.

"What's the trouble?" Sirius asked the Auror.

Taking a deep breath, schooling himself because he knew that Sirius wasn't going to like what he had to say, Kingsley said, "Pettigrew escaped."

For a moment Sirius' eyes darkened and Kingsley was sure that he was going to explode, but then in an instant the look was gone, replaced by a much calmer, though no less happy one. "Come and tell me what happened," he said, motioning towards a table at the back of the room.

Kingsley followed Sirius over and they both sat down. Knowing there was no way to make it any better he just went right to it. "Well, it seems our esteemed Minister didn't like the cell Pettigrew was being held in and demanded he be transferred immediately to a regular cell."

Sirius took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Just how idiotic can one man be?" he muttered lowly.

Kingsley looked at him sadly and said, "From the sounds of it, he didn't do it maliciously."

Sirius looked up into Kingsley's eyes, "Is that supposed to make me feel better?" he asked bitterly.

Kingsley gave him an apologetic look but didn't know what to say.

Sirius shook his head, "In some ways that makes it worse, how can you counter sheer stupidity?"

"I don't know," Kingsley replied. He then pulled out a roll of parchment and slid it across the table to Sirius. "At least it didn't effect this," he said conciliatorially.

Sirius picked up the scroll and opened it, a small smile creeping onto his face as he read. "I was almost sure that this day would never come," he said softly.

Kingsley couldn't help but smile along with Sirius, "I'm just glad that the truth finally came out and that you're now free." He then looked at Sirius quizzically, "Though there is still one little detail that quite a few would like answered," he said lowly.

Sirius gave the Auror a sly grin, "And just what might that be," he said knowingly.

"How in the world did you escape from Azkaban?" Kingsley asked.

Sirius gave a low laugh, "I wondered when someone would get around to that."

"Well?"

"In effect, I just walked out," Sirius replied cryptically.

Kingsley looked stunned, "But . . . but, I can't believe it. How?"

"I'll leave you to ponder the details, a smart guy like you should be able to figure it out," Sirius said with a grin.

"Hummmm, I'll give it some thought and get back to you," Kingsley replied thoughtfully. "What''s your next step?" Kingsley asked after a moment.

Sirius looked thoughtful for a moment. "Well, I guess I need to get in contact with the Goblins and find out the status of my estate, but to do that I'll need to get some new clothes. But . . ."

Kingsley gave a chuckle, "Yeah, You need Galleons to see the Goblins to get access to your Galleons," he said sympathetically.

Sirius gave Kingsley a smirk, "You wouldn't happen to have a couple thousand Galleons to lend me, would you?"

Kingsley laughed, "I'm just a poor Auror and it doesn't pay that well."

"I know, I was just taking the mickey out on you," Sirius said, still grinning.

Kingsley shook his head, "My suggestion is speak to Minerva."

Sirius nodded, "Yeah, I guess she is my best bet. I need to speak to her about borrowing a house elf or two anyway."

Kingsley nodded and rose, "Well good luck, and I want to say once more I'm glad you're a free man once again."

"Thanks," Sirius said.

"I'd better be getting back and see if there has been any information on Pettigrew," Kingsley said with a sigh. "Not that I expect to hear anything."

Sirius rose and extended his hand, "Thanks again for all your help," he said with a smile.

"You're welcome, I just wish it hadn't been necessary," Kingsley replied, taking Sirius' hand and shaking it. "Take care and I'm sure I'll be seeing you."

"I'm sure we will be," Sirius agreed.

Kingsley turned and left the Inn, Sirius watching him as he left, thinking about the Auror and what a decent man he was. "Just goes to prove that not all the Ministry people are useless," he said to himself.

He headed back up to his room to get ready to go see Minerva, he had a lot of things to accomplish and the sooner he started the sooner he'd get them done.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Harry and Ginny slowly became aware of their surroundings once more, both sighing contently. Taking note of the sun now being up, they figured that they had been joined for several hours.

"_I can't believe it," _Ginny sent.

"_What?" _Harry asked.

"_How much closer and more in Love I feel," _Ginny replied.

Harry smiled, knowing exactly what she meant. He felt just the same. If anyone would have said that he'd love Ginny more than before, he would have told them that they were barmy, but as they worked on strengthening their Bond, it made him Love her all that much more.

"_Good morning," _Arwain said, a touch of humour colouring her voice.

"_Good morning," _Harry and Ginny replied.

"_I see you have been working on strengthening your Bond," _Arwain said humorously.

Harry and Ginny blushed, "_Yes we have," _Ginny replied, a smile on her face.

"_Good," _Arwain said. "_The more you work on it the better."_

Harry's feelings of unease from the previous night returned and he said "_You said we'd talk this morning."_

"_So I did," _Arwain said a bit sadly.

"_So what happened?" _Ginny asked.

Arwain sighed, there was nothing to do but just tell them. "_Last night the one named Pettigrew escaped and is now on his way to rejoin The Dark Lord."_

Ginny could feel Harry's melancholy and she hugged him tighter to her body. "_Are you okay?" _she asked, full of concern.

Slowly, Harry nodded. "_Yeah," _ he sent softly. Sighing he said, _"I guess that means that he will be returning, won't he?"_

"_Eventually, yes," _Arwain replied a bit sadly. "_But not for some time."_

Ginny got a thoughtful look on her face and with a frown said, "_I have a hard time thinking of him as anything but Tom Riddle."_

"_So you know his true name," _Arwain stated. "_Knowing his true character and name is very powerful. It gives you a weapon that can be used against him."_

"_How so?" _asked Harry.

"_Knowledge is power and by refusing to acknowledge the persona he has chosen for himself diminishes his power to affect you," _Arwain said purposely.

Harry nodded after a moment, "_I like it,"_ he said hugging Ginny tighter to him. "_I like the way you think," _ he said with a smile.

Ginny felt Harry's warmth and love wash over her and she couldn't help but snuggle in closer to him. Turning her attention back to Arwain she asked, "_Isn't there anyway to stop Wormtail from rejoining Riddle?"_

"_I'm afraid not," _Arwain replied sadly.

"_So what do we do?" _Ginny asked softly.

"_You continue on just like you are now," _Arwain replied.

When Ginny looked puzzled, she added _"For now you work on strengthening your Bond and then work on learning what you'll need to destroy Riddle once and for all."_

Harry and Ginny both sighed, knowing that the course they were on wasn't going to be an easy one, but the knowledge of their Bond somehow strengthening their resolve, knowing that somehow together they would find a way together.

"_If I'm not mistaken, your mother almost has breakfast ready," _Arwain said with a grin. "_Perhaps you two should get up and get dressed."_

Though Ginny could feel Harry's reluctance to rise, she knew that Arwain was right, so she gave Harry a quick kiss and said "_She's right, you know. We don't want Mum finding us dressed as we are."_

Harry knew she was right, of course, so with a sigh, he slowly disentangled himself from Ginny's warm, wonderful body.

"_I'll just leave you two for now," _Arwain sent humorously, and then they felt her presence withdraw.

Harry rolled over and got out of bed, not concerned in the slightest that the was nude. As he reached for his dressing gown he felt Ginny's bewilderment.

"_What is it?" _he asked, becoming concerned.

"_I'm not sure," _Ginny replied slowly. _"Something seems different about you."_

Harry looked down at his body in bewilderment, frowning slightly as he did so. "_What's so different?" _he sent back to Ginny.

Ginny studied Harry's nude form for a few moments, finally saying "_I think you're changing too."_

"_How?" _Harry asked.

"_Well, you seem to be losing that baby fat look and ah, you're starting to develop body hair," _Ginny replied, matter-of-factually. "_And if I'm not mistaken, you're shoulders are broadening."_

"_Oh," _Harry replied, blinking several times, finally putting on his dressing gown. He then sat down next to Ginny, looking quite pensive as he did so.

"_What is it, Harry?" _Ginny asked softly.

Harry shrugged, "_I guess I'm changing just like you are," _he said.

Ginny smiled at him. _"Well I guess that we should have anticipated that."_

Harry chuckled, _"Yeah, I guess we should have," _he agreed.

Ginny stood to get dressed too and Harry couldn't help but notice the faint but unmistakable beginnings of fiery coloured hair in Ginny's nether region.

Ginny noticed Harry's stare and found herself giggling slightly, "_Like what you see?" _she asked saucily.

Though caught, Harry felt no embarrassment and meeting her eyes, he replied "_I most certainly do."_

Ginny came over to him and placed her hands on his shoulders and said with a smile, "_I like what I see too. You're looking more mature and I think it becomes you."_

Harry stared up into Ginny's eyes and he felt her love and admiration wash over him. It filled him with the most amazing warm and wonderful feelings and he felt some of the shame he had experienced from the years of verbal abuse at being a freak leave him.

Tenderly he wrapped his arms around Ginny, saying "Thank you, Love."

"You're welcome, Harry," Ginny replied, holding him tightly to her body.

Harry sighed contently, feeling the love they had for one another bouncing back and forth between them, so much stronger now that they had been working on strengthening the bond.

Harry slowly relaxed his grip and he rose, taking Ginny's hand. "_We'd better get ready and head down to breakfast before your Mum comes looking for us."_

Ginny grinned at him, though he got the feeling that she really didn't care if they got caught. In fact Harry was sure that sooner or later Ginny was going to force the issue with her Mum over their sleeping arrangements, and while he agreed in principal, he didn't want to cause Mr. Weasley any trouble. Giving his Bond-mate a smile, they left Ginny's room, heading to take their showers and start their day.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Sirius appeared at the entrance to McGonagall Castle and he shook his head in amazement, even though the Blacks were one of the Ancient Wizarding Families, they still didn't come close to anything like the old clans of Scotland. The castle was very impressive, rivalling Hogwarts in size, but actually more impressive as it was a true fortified Castle, with moat and keep.

Sirius took in the view, the mist rising off the moat, twirling in spirals that shimmered in the morning light was truly beautiful and he relished being free. Closing his eyes for a moment, he took in a huge breath of air and exhaled slowly, a smile filling his face as he did so.

"Good morning, Sirius," he heard, startling him.

Opening his eyes and turning towards the voice he found himself looking at Minerva who had obviously been out walking the grounds. "Good Morning, Minerva," Sirius replied.

"Beautiful morning, isn't it?" his old professor said with a smile.

Sirius smiled back, "It could be sleeting with winds blowing so hard I could hardly remain on my feet and it'd be a good morning," he replied.

Minerva gave him a knowing look and just nodded her head. She understood his meaning, being free was all he needed at the moment for it to be a really "Good Morning"

"Would you care to join me for some breakfast?" Minerva said, leading Sirius through the gate into the Bailey where Sirius was surprised to see a small table set up outside the door to the Keep.

While he had already had a sizeable breakfast at the Hogs Head, he was still a little hungry, especially since he knew it would beat the fare at Azkaban by far.

Sirius hurried slightly and pulled out Minerva's chair for her, surprising the older woman slightly. It had been quite some time since someone Sirius' age had shown such respect.

"Thank you, Sirius," Minerva said as she sat down.

"You're quite welcome," Sirius replied, taking the seat across from her.

Sirius smiled at the spread before them, a healthy selection of the staples normally found for breakfast. Though his eyes came to rest on a basket of scones and after offering them to his hostess, he helped himself to a couple.

He slathered the first with heaps of butter, which melted into the surface. He moaned slightly at the wonderful taste, relishing the flavours that assaulted his palette.

Minerva couldn't help but smile at the pleasure that Sirius was experiencing from the simple act of eating a scone.

Though he tried to eat slowly, he couldn't help but finish the scone in several bites. With a contented sigh he said, "That was marvellous. Lingonberry, if I'm not mistaken."

Minerva chuckled, "That's correct. I'm surprised that you knew that, not many can name the fruit that is used."

"Mrs. Potter made them for James and me when I went to stay with them after leaving my parents home," Sirius replied with a small smile as he prepared the second scone.

As they ate, Minerva turned the conversation to Sirius' visit. "While I can see you're enjoying the scones, to what do I owe this visit too?" she asked.

"I was wondering if I could impose upon you for some help," Sirius replied, helping himself to another scone.

"I assume you mean my offer of a house elf or two," Minerva said.

"Well, yes, but first I need to get to Gringott's and gain access to my vault," Sirius explained.

"How can I help with that?" Minerva asked, slightly perplexed.

Sirius looked slightly embarrassed, "Well, it is hardly fitting for the head of the Most Noble and Ancient House of Black to show up at Gringott's dressed as a pauper," he replied.

Minerva gave a chuckle and a knowing look. "Yes, we can't have a member of a Noble and Ancient House showing up dressed inappropriately."

Sirius couldn't help but smile at the inflection in Minerva's voice.

She then looked at him shrewdly and said, "Will 500 Galleons be sufficient?"

Sirius was stunned at the amount she had mentioned. "I – ah, suppose so," he said hesitantly. "It's been a while since I've done any shopping, so I really don't have any idea what the prices of things are."

Minerva smiled sadly, "Yes, I suppose that things are a little more expensive than they were back then." She then reached into her desk drawer, pulled out a small leather pouch and handed it to Sirius.

"Thanks, Aunt Minnie," Sirius said cheekily.

Minerva rolled her eyes and with a small shake of her head, said, "Good Godric, not you too."

Sirius stood and said seriously, "Thanks Minerva, I'll return this as soon as I am able."

"No hurry, " she replied with a smile. "It's the least I can do."

Sirius rose to leave and with a grin said, "If you see Poppy, tell her I'm taking my potions."

Minerva looked at Sirius closely, "Is that the only thing you want me to say to her," she said with a wry grin.

Sirius returned the grin and replied, "Yeah, anything else I have to say, I can say myself, thank you very much." As he headed for the door he turned back and added, "I'll let you know when I need the help of the elves."

Minerva merely nodded, thinking about Sirius and Poppy, wondering if anything was going on there. The more she thought about it, the more she thought that it probably would be a good thing for both of them. For Sirius because having a warm, caring woman after his time in Azkaban would help him regain some happiness and for Poppy, who seemed to have never let herself love another since the death of her Brian.

With a sigh, she turned back to the stack of parchments before her, picking up the one on the top of the pile and began reading.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Ron and Hermione were sitting in the parlour after eating breakfast. Ron had a morose look upon his face.

"What is it?" Hermione asked.

"I can't believe that I had a mass murderer all this time," Ron moaned lowly.

Hermione rolled her eyes which luckily went unnoticed by Ron. "We've been over this before," she said a trifle irritably.

Ron sat up straighter and looked at her, his irritability rising to match hers. "You're not the one who had, that – that monster living with you," he spat.

"What of it?" Hermione countered. "You don't seemed to have suffered any because of it."

Ron sighed heavily, shaking his head. "I knew you'd never understand," he replied, moodily.

Gritting her teeth, Hermione said "Well, explain it to me then, cause I'm obviously too dumb to understand."

Ron's eyes widened. He'd never meant to imply that Hermione was dumb. She was without a doubt the smartest person he knew, well, discounting people like Dumbledore and some of the other Professors.

"I never said you were dumb," he said defensively.

"You certainly implied it," Hermione said testily. "I mean you said I could never understand, so obviously you think it's beyond my comprehension."

Ron knew he was in a no win situation. "I . . . I. . . well, that's not what I meant!"

Hermione eyed him dubiously. "Well, what did you mean then?" she asked, her anger right below the surface.

Thinking quickly, something he was learning to do since becoming friends with Hermione, though he wasn't anywhere near a master at it. "What I meant was if you haven't experienced it, you couldn't really KNOW what I mean" he said hurriedly.

Hermione thought about it for a moment and then with a nod, replied, "I can see that," she admitted.

Ron breathed a silent sigh of relief. He certainly didn't need to alienate Hermione as he already felt estranged from their other friend, Harry. Though he understood in his mind about Harry's bond with his sister, he just had a hard time accepting the fact that Harry now wanted to spend all his time with her. She was a girl after all.

Hermione could tell by the look that came over Ron's face that he was now thinking about Harry and the bond he had formed with Ginny. She made a quick decision that if Ron wanted to talk about Harry, he was the one who was going to be the one who would have to bring the subject up.

Ron began to take fleeting glances at Hermione, hoping that she'd bring up the subject of Harry and the bond with Ginny.

When it became apparent that she was either ignoring him, or purposely not bringing the subject up, he began to get annoyed again.

Of course, he was dismal at hiding the fact that he was getting annoyed so after a few moments Hermione abruptly stood and stalked off towards the kitchen, pausing at the doorway, she turned and said "If you want to talk about it, you're the one who is going to be the one to bring it up."

She then turned and continued from the room, leaving a annoyed Ron trying to act like he didn't know what she was talking about.

Sighing deeply, he muttered, "Completely mental, that one." He then turned his attention to the fire where he stared deeply into it, wondering what he was going to do about things with Harry.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Harry and Ginny were just finishing breakfast when there was a knock at the door. Since Molly was standing near the sinnk, she went and opened the door revealing Tonks.

She entered a bit apprehensively, looking at Harry the whole time.

"I bring some rather bad news," she said apologetically.

When no one said anything she continued, "Pettigrew escaped," she said succinctly.

Harry and Ginny just looked at her before nodding and going back to finishing their breakfasts.

"We know," Harry said softly after a moment.

Tonks and Molly looked at Harry and Ginny in shock. "How do you know?" asked a stunned Molly.

"_How are you going to explain?" _asked Ginny.

Harry immediately knew he had made a mistake and needed some way to cover for it. He certainly didn't want to try and explain Arwain to anyone.

"Well, what I mean is that I got a bad feeling last night that something had happened and Wormtail escaping would explain it," Harry said with a shrug.

Ginny could see that neither Tonks nor her Mum believed Harry's explanation, but they didn't press him on it either.

"May we be excused?" she asked, hoping that they'd be able to get away quickly before either one of the adults pressed for a better answer.

"Yes," Molly replied after a moment, her eyes boring into Harry as if she was trying to read his mind to see what he was thinking. "Please make sure to put your dishes into the sink."

Harry and Ginny rose, trying not to hurry, placed their dirty dishes into the sink and immediately headed back up to Ginny's room.

"_That was close," _Harry said in relief.

"_I don't think we've heard the end of it," _Ginny replied.

When they got to the landing where Ginny's and Harry's rooms were, Harry steered Ginny into his room, instead of Ginny's.

"_Lets hang out in here," _Harry said.

Ginny gave him a questioning look, but let herself be guided into Harry's room instead of hers.

"_I can't believe I just did that," _Harry said morosely, as he flopped down on the bed.

"_Well, we can't undo it," _Ginny replied, laying down and snuggling into Harry's side.

"_What are we going to do about it?" _Harry asked.

"_I don't know," _ Ginny replied. "_We should ask someone."_

Harry gave her a questioning look, "_Who?" _he asked, perplexed.

Ginny gave a small giggle, "_Who do you think?"_

Harry blushed at his stupidity. "Who indeed," he thought to himself. "_Arwain," _ he called out.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Back in the kitchen, Tonks and Molly sat down at the table as Molly poured them some tea.

"Do you buy Harry's explanation?" Tonks asked.

"No I don't, Dora," Molly replied as she prepared her tea, looking very thoughtful.

"Neither do I," Tonks said. "He was much to calm when he said that they had known."

"I know," said Molly.

"What do you make of it?" Dora asked, looking quite thoughtful herself.

After a moment, Molly sadly said, "I have no idea."

Tonks gave small chuckle, "Just one more mystery surrounding them," she said. Then after a brief pause she added, "I guess we'd better tell Minerva and Poppy."

Molly, who had let her attention wander said, "What's that dear?"

Laughing, Dora said, "I said, I guess we'd better let Minerva and Poppy know about Harry's knowing about Pettigrew's escaping."

"Why's that, Dora," a confused Molly asked.

"They're documenting the Bonding, aren't they?" Dora asked, her brow furrowed.

Molly finally got what Dora was driving at, "Yes, . . . yes of course," she agreed now that she had caught on to what the young Auror was driving at. She then sighed, "Just one more thing to make that poor boy the centre of attention," she lamented.

Dora sighed too. She hadn't known Harry that long but from what she had learned so far, Molly was right. Harry seemed to be thrust into the limelight at every turn, or at least since he had rejoined the wizarding world.

Shaking her head, she hoped that he continued to display the same attitude and inclination that he had so far. He was without a doubt the most shy, unassuming young boy she had ever had the pleasure to meet.

Molly suddenly brightened, "Well enough about that for now. Tell me about what's going on in your life. Any suitors?"

Dora's eyes widened, and she wished that the topic had gone anywhere but there as she didn't have the slightest clue as what to tell Molly.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Sirius stopped in Edinburgh to purchase his new robes so that he could go to Gringott's. Looking up at the well faded sign, he read "MacTavish's Fine Clothing and Appointments for Gentlemen. Est. 1458.

Looking down at his borrowed, worn but well cared for robes, he entered the store. He was immediately met by one of the sales people. "Are you being served?" the young man inquired.

"No, I am not," Sirius replied.

The young man looked Sirius over from head to toe and muttered, "Well no wonder."

Sirius was about to retort when an older gentleman came over. "That will be enough Jenkins," he said sharply. He then turned to Sirius and said "Please excuse my young colleague and may I be of service?"

Sirius immediately took a liking to the older gentleman, "Yes, I am in the need of a new set of robes," he replied with a smile.

"Yes, I can see while well cared for, your current set has seen better days," the clerk said amiably.

"Actually these are borrowed. I've been . . . away for some time and need to acquire some of my own," Sirius said.

"May inquire as to the gentleman's budget?"

Sirius smiled at the delicately posed question. "For the moment I'm limited to 500 Galleons until such time as I gain access to my Gringott's vault."

"With that budget, you can purchase our finest robes," the clerk said with a smile. "By the way, my name is Bryan MacTavish."

"Glad to meet you, Bryan. My name is Sirius Black," Sirius said, watching closely to see if his name caused a reaction.

Bryan's one eyebrow rose into his hairline, "It's a pleasure to meet you Mr. Black." Then after a moment, he added, "There are those of us who never believed that you were guilty."

Sirius was visibly taken aback, "That's most gratifying to hear," he said softly.

"Well, yes," Bryan said, straightening his robes. "Let's get you properly outfitted."

Bryan spent the next several hours having Sirius try on various robes, some very formal and others more for everyday wear. One or the other rejected the majority of the items picked out for on reason or another. Even so they ended up with a half dozen sets of robes along with new shoes and a variety of other necessities.

Sirius hadn't really been paying attention to prices till he looked at the pile on the counter next to the register. The first two robes came to more than the 500 Galleons that he had.

"Excuse me, Bryan, but I thought I had informed you right from the start that I only had 500 Galleons to spend."

"That you did, Mr. Black, but a man of your position and stature has need of a complete set of clothing. Don't worry, I'll take a deposit and once you have your dealings with the Goblins straightened out, you can send me the balance," Bryan said with a smile.

"That's most kind of you," Sirius replied, stunned at the chance the man was taking. Not that he wouldn't pay, but how could this man know that.

Bryan MacTavish just waved it off. "If I'm any judge of a man at all, I know I have nothing to worry about," he said with a smile.

Sirius made to hand over the 500 Galleons, but Bryan only took 250 and slid the rest back at Sirius.

"You'll be needing some of that and I'd never take a man's last Galleon," Bryan said. He packaged up Sirius' purchases, shrunk the packages and handed them to Sirius. "Here you are Mr. Black. Send the balance when you're able and it's been a pleasure serving you."

Sirius smiled but then got a concerned look on his face. The robes I was wearing when I can in, I need to return them to the man I borrowed them from."

"Just one moment," Bryan said, then turning he called out loudly, "Jenkins!"

The younger man came out from the back and said, "You called me, sir?"

"Yes, the robes this gentleman was wearing when he arrived, I want you to fetch them from the back."

Both noticed the young man pale considerably. "I – I banished them," he stammered.

Bryan got a dark look on his face, "Go to the sale rack and get me a set of robes," he said icily.

Jenkins rushed away to accomplish his errand as fast as possible. Within moments he had returned with a very nice set of deep Navy robes, far nicer than Arthur's had been new.

"Will these do?" Jenkins asked.

Sirius was about to say they were too good when he was cut off by Bryan, who looked at the price tag and nodded. "Yes these will do nicely and this 125 Galleons will be coming out of your severance."

Jenkins looked like he wanted to say something bit then reconsidered. He then turned and left the sales area, heading into the back.

"I hope I wasn't the cause of him losing his job," Sirius said.

"Not to worry, Jenkins is wholly responsible for the loss of his job. He has been here on a trial basis and trust me, he wasn't making the grade," Bryan replied a bit sadly.

He then added the robes to one of Sirius' bags. "Well Thank you for your patronage and I hope to see you again, Mr. Black."

"Please call me Sirius, all my friends do," Sirius replied, sticking his hand out.

Bryan took the proffered hand and shook it. "Sirius it is then," said Bryan.

Sirius nodded and headed out the door, wondering how he was going to get Arthur to accept the new robes.

**XX HP + GW XX**

**A/N: Finally got a chance to update. I hope that in the future it doesn't take so long. **

**As always, reviews welcome.**


	32. Magical Education

**Harry and Ginny: A Love Story**

**Chapter 32: Magical Education**

Harry and Ginny headed out back and away from the Burrow. Under Arwain's instruction they headed down to the small stream that threaded its way through the edge of the Burrow's property.

"_Right, now" _said Arwain. _"First off I want you to search the stream bed and find four quartz rocks and they should all be about the same size. Somewhere about the size of an egg if you can."_

"_What will we be needing them for?"_ Ginny asked as she and Harry began their search.

"_I'll tell you when you find them," _Arwain said lightly.

After about 15 minutes Harry and Ginny had found 4 stones that were all about the same size, though they were larger than eggs. More about the size of Ginny's fist.

"_Will these do?" _Harry asked.

"_Those will do splendidly," _Arwain replied. "_Even better than what I asked for."_

She then instructed Harry and Ginny to lay them out in a big square, about 50 feet on a side. Once they were in place she had them stand in the centre, take out their wands and join hands. Though they found it a bit awkward as they were both right handed, they managed.

"_Now face opposite sides of the square," _she instructed the pair.

Once they had she said "_The spell I'm going to have you cast is velieris veneficus and the wand movement is a clockwise circle finished with a jab through the centre. The circle should be about one foot in diameter."_

"_But won't we get caught for doing under-age magic?" _Ginny asked apprehensively.

"_No, that's what the stones are for. I'm having you create a warded area for you to practice in," _Arwain explained. "_Though gem stones would be better to create stronger and more permanent wards, the quartz crystals will be fine for our purposes."_

Harry and Ginny did as instructed, casting the spell. It caused the stones on their sides to glow brightly.

"_Now turn 90 degrees and cast the spell once more," _Arwain instructed.

Harry and Ginny did so and the stones glowed much more brightly and then fade down after flashing.

"_Well done," _Arwain said, complimenting them. "_I knew you two were powerful and wouldn't have any problem accomplishing that spell."_

For the next hour Arwain instructed them in all manner of spells. Starting off with simple stunners and blocking spells.

"Stupefy" Harry cast.

"Protego" Ginny countered.

"_Well done!" _Arwain said in satisfaction. _"You two are picking this up quite quickly."_

Harry and Ginny blushed at the praise

"_Next we'll work on Diffindo and Confringo, the severing charm and the blasting hex," _Arwain stated.

Harry and Ginny worked diligently, casting both spells at nearby tree stumps that were within their warded area. It took a little work but soon they both could cast the spells correctly.

Ginny could feel Harry's approval on how well she was doing. At first she had been a little afraid that with her being a year younger and a year behind in school that she wouldn't be as adept as he was.

"Ginny, you are amazing," Harry said with a smile.

Blushing at his praise, Ginny could feel his approval through their bond. "Thanks," she said softly.

Harry came over and took her in a deep embrace. Ginny was almost overwhelmed by the warmth and love she felt coming from Harry.

"_Well, I think that's enough for now," _Arwain said in satisfaction. When Harry and Ginny started to protest she added, "_It's almost lunch time and we don't want anyone coming down here looking for you."_

Reluctantly they agreed with her.

"_Do we need to do anything with the wards?" _Harry asked.

"_No, though since we are only using the quartz, you will need to reinforce the wards every time you come down here to practice," _Arwain explained.

Nodding in understanding, Harry and Ginny headed off to lunch and as they did so they felt Arwain retreat from their minds.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Sirius walked out of Gringott's a very happy man. It hadn't taken very long to get things straightened out with the Goblins. They had been most helpful, and it was with great satisfaction that he was exiting the bank.

Not only had the Goblins been taking very good care of his estate, they were able to take care of transferring the balance of his shopping spree to Bryan MacTavish.

He was just walking down the steps when he heard someone call his name.

"Sirius, you old dog! It's great to see you."

Sirius smiled, recognizing the voice immediately. Turning, he took in the sight of his old friend.

"Mooney, how good to see you," he replied, walking quickly over to the man.

Remus held out his hand for Sirius to shake, but he ignored it and took Remus into a huge hug, slapping him on the back soundly.

Stepping back, Sirius was saddened by the shabby look of his friend's attire. The life of a werewolf was obviously even harder now than it had been back before everything had happened.

"I was so happy to read about your being cleared," Remus said happily, though his smile didn't quite reach his eyes.

Sirius smiled at his friend's enthusiasm.

"Are you hungry? I was just about to go have some lunch," Sirius said. "Join me and we can catch up on what's been happening in your life."

Remus hesitated for a moment but then nodded and gave Sirius a smile, "That would be wonderful," he said softly.

The two men made the walk to the Leaky Cauldron in a very short time. Since it was still a little before noon they were able to get a small private parlour.

After placing and receiving their orders they settled into eating their lunch and catching up.

Sirius gave Remus the once over and shook his head sadly. "Remus, how have things been?" he asked tactfully.

Remus sighed and gave a wan smile. "I'll admit that the past few years have been rather trying, but things are looking up at the moment."

"Really?" Sirius asked sceptically.

Remus gave a hearty laugh. "Yes, really," he answered with a grin. "I'll have you know that I recently acquired a very prestigious job."

Sirius raised an eyebrow, eyeing his old friend. "And what job would that be?" he asked dubiously.

"You're looking at the new Defensive Against the Dark Arts Professor for Hogwarts," Remus replied, his grin widening.

Sirius momentarily gave him a shocked look, then he shook his head sadly though he did have a slight smile on his face. "You've turned into one of Them!" he cried softly.

With a shrug, Remus gave a low laugh. "I'm sure James is turning over in his grave, but I'm also sure that Lily heartily approves. Besides, I really needed the money."

Sirius' smile warmed. "I'm happy for you, old friend. Just know that if you ever need it, you'll always have a place to stay with me."

"I'll keep that in mind," Remus replied with a chuckle.

When Sirius gave him a questioning look, Remus added, "There's the rumour floating around that the job is cursed. The position hasn't had the same teacher two years in a row for many years."

Sirius couldn't help but give a low chuckle, prompting Remus to shoot a questioning look back at him.

"Just be careful, I wouldn't want anything like what has happened to the last two teachers happen to you," Sirius replied.

"What do you know that I don't?" Remus asked with a grin.

"Well from what I heard, the last one was a complete fraud who ended up with his mind Obliviated and the one before that was inhabited by old Voldy himself and ended up dead," replied Sirius, his face breaking out into a grin.

"Well, Albus certainly never mentioned that when he offered me the job," Remus said, grinning back. "Where may I ask did you acquire your information?"

Sirius sighed wanly, "From hearing about all the Harry has been having to deal with," he said softly.

Remus gave him a shocked look. "You mean James' and Lily's Harry?" he asked incredulously.

"Yeah, the one in the same," Sirius replied with a sad look.

"You've seen him?" Remus asked, in shock.

"Yeah I have," said Sirius, his look softening as the memories of meeting Harry filled him.

"I tired to see him for several years after that dreadful night but Albus said he'd be safer if everyone stayed away from him," Remus said sadly.

Sirius had to squelch down the anger that rose within him. "Listen Remus, I think there's some things you should know."

For the next hour and a half, Sirius told Remus everything that he had learned about Harry, his up-bringing and the actions on one Albus Dumbledore.

It was a much changed man who finally parted from Sirius once they were done. Remus having vowed to help keep a watch on Harry and Ginny during the coming school year.

Sirius smiled as he watched is old friend depart, vowing to talk to Minerva and the Weasleys about adding Remus to the group who were gathered around Harry and Ginny knowing he would make an excellent addition.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Hermione came down the stairs and took in the group around the kitchen table. The three that caught her attention the most were Harry and Ginny, and Ron.

Ron was once more looking rather morose but Hermione couldn't tell if it was because of Harry and Ginny or the Twins who were looking at him with a kind of smug superiority.

The more she looked the more she thought it was probably the Twins who were the cause and she had to roll her eyes wondering what they had done to Ron this time.

Leaving that puzzle for the moment, she turned her attention to the other pair who had gotten her attention. While she couldn't place what it was, she knew there was something different going on with them. They had an air of suppressed excitement about them that they couldn't quite hide.

She was getting use to their non-verbal communication though the concept still boggled her mind. The idea of direct mind to mind communication both awed her and left her a bit envious.

Hermione joined the group around the table and helped herself to a sandwich and some crisps. She had to stifle a chuckle when George caught her eye and winked at her, though she couldn't help but smile.

Turning her attention back on Harry and Ginny, she watched them out of the corner of her eye, not wanting to be to obvious.

Ginny noticed Hermione's actions and she gave a deep sigh. "_Harry, Hermione's giving us that look again, even though she's trying hard not to be obvious about it."_

Harry glanced over at Hermione and noticed her shifting her eyes away from him and Ginny when she noticed Harry looking her way. "_Yeah, I see her," _he replied.

"_Somehow I think it's going to be hard to slip away this afternoon to do some more training," _Ginny sent.

"_Oh, bother," _Harry sent as he frowned. "_I was looking forward to practising some more."_

Ginny couldn't help herself as a small giggle escaped and she was pleased when she saw how Harry's lips twisted as he tried hard not to laugh too.

"_So was I,"_ Ginny sent. "_Maybe we can Stun her as a way of practising," _she added with a smirk.

"_As much as I'd like to give that a try, I think it would kind of spoil our desire to keep it secret," _Harry sent back, barely keeping his composure.

"_Well if we can't practise for the moment, how about we head upstairs and spend some time cuddling," _Ginny responded, her eyes glowing with desire.

Harry's eyes flashed back at her and he quickly finished the last couple of crisps on his plate. Rising quickly he grabbed Ginny's hand and pulled her up the stairs.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Hermione watched as Harry and Ginny headed up the stairs. The more she watched them the more she want to find out about the Bond the two shared. In some ways she felt so jealous of the two. She then swore to herself that she'd buckle down and finish reading the book she had on Bonding.

She glanced over at Ron and shook her head as he stuffed another large bite of his fifth sandwich into his mouth. Still chewing the monstrous bite, he stuffed some crisps in also and took a huge gulp of his pumpkin juice.

Shaking her head in disgust as she rolled her eyes at Ron's crude display of manners, she noticed Mrs. Weasley's eyes glance at her before turning her attention to her youngest son.

"Ronald Bilius Weasley! Where are your manners?" she said shrilly. "I know for a fact you've been taught better than that," she added, a look of deep displeasure on her face.

Ron looked at his mother in total bewilderment. "Whah?" he asked, pieces of food dropping out of his still full mouth.

Mrs. Weasley pulled her wand out of her apron pocket and banished the food remaining on his plate along with the mouthful he hadn't swallowed yet. "If you're going to eat like an animal perhaps it would be better if I fed you out in the yard with the chickens," she said hotly.

Ron's eyes flitted to Hermione who was trying her hardest to not make eye contact with him. Out of the corner of her eyes she saw him blush deeply, his face, neck and ears turning a deep red.

When she saw his attention turn back to his mother, she rose quickly and made her way into the parlour where she grabbed the ancient tome on Bonds and began to read where she had left off, trying her hardest not to listen to the berating Ron was receiving.

Sighing deeply she tried not to think about Ron's growing short-comings compared to the other Weasley males that she knew.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Harry and Ginny ended up in Ginny's room and without a moments hesitation both were cuddled up on her bed.

Harry took his wand and aimed it at the door, "Colloportus" he cast softly.

They heard an odd squelching sound and the door glowed briefly.

"_There," _Harry sent. "_That should give us a little privacy."_

Ginny's eyes flashed with her desire, though she had a wry grin on her face. "_And why would we be needing some privacy?" _she asked huskily.

"_Because there are some things I've been wanting to try," _Harry replied, giving her a smile.

"_Like what?" _Ginny asked, her "voice" trembling in anticipation.

Instead of answering, Harry began to lightly kiss all around Ginny's face and neck, slowly working his way down her body.

Ginny's breath began to come faster and in short gasps as the feelings of what Harry was doing to her began to overwhelm her. She momentarily wondered what had happened to her clothing as Harry's kisses worked further and further down her trembling body but that thought soon flew from her mind as the sensations that she felt banished all other thoughts.

Harry soon reached his goal and Ginny couldn't believe what she was feeling. He was making her feel so wonderful and she thought she'd explode from the wonderful, overwhelming sensations that were rocketing through her.

Suddenly she felt she was flying and a million fireworks were ricocheting through her mind. All coherent thought left her as she was overtaken by the pure pleasure that she was feeling. Time lost all meaning to her as she slowly came down off the pinnacle that Harry had taken her to.

"_Sweet Merlin, Harry," _Ginny sent after her breathing had returned to something closer to normal. "_Where did you learn that?"_

Harry made his way back up and laid next to her, a smug grin gracing his face. "_I found a book hidden in my room. I guess Bill left it there," _he replied.

Ginny smiled at him, "_I'd love to read it sometime," _she sent, a grin forming on her face.

Though the Bond Ginny felt the tension in Harry and she let her hand slide down across his stomach until she found what she was seeking. Slowly she returned the pleasure that he had given her. She didn't even take the time to wonder where Harry's clothing had gotten to.

She marvelled at the feelings that she was getting through the Bond from Harry as he experienced his own rising pleasure and she couldn't stop a similar smug grin from forming as she gave as good as she had got.

As Harry's breathing returned to normal, they cuddled together, bodies intertwined as they slowly drifted off to sleep, both satisfied from their new found experience of pleasing one another.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Tonks looked around the table at the people assembled there. She had been surprised a little at them meeting in the back room of the Hogs Head but with Aberforth being included she figured that it was for his convenience.

She knew everyone there except the new man who was talking with Sirius. The casual manner and the laughs they were sharing indicated that he must be a friend of her cousin.

Minerva was trying to get things organized but not exceedingly so, sharing looks and smiles with Aberforth. Tonks shook her head trying hard to reconcile the Minerva she was seeing with the stern taskmaster she remembered from her Hogwarts days.

As hard as she tried not to, she found her attention drifting back to the newcomer. There was just something about him that drew her attention to him.

She heard Sirius tease the man about his new robes but they obviously weren't brand new so that she figured they must be second-hand. Not that it made any difference to her in the slightest, she knew all to well about the necessities of being frugal now that she had moved out of her parents house and was living on her own.

Minerva finally spoke up. "Welcome everyone. First off I'd like to introduce the newest member of our group, Remus Lupin, a very good friend of Sirius and also of James and Lily."

As Remus looked around at everyone as he was introduced Tonks found her eyes lock with his and she couldn't help but smile at him. She felt a visceral pull and she realized that he must have felt something too as his eyes widened slightly at her.

Tonks thought it had gone unnoticed by anyone until Sirius gave Remus a poke in the side, leaned over and whispered something in his ear. Remus gave him a sharp look, breaking eye contact with her.

Bewildered, Tonks couldn't explain the feeling of loss she felt when his eyes left hers. She watched as with a frown, Remus whispered something back to Sirius who just laughed and said something in reply. Remus rolled his eyes and shook his head at whatever Sirius had said.

Sighing, Tonks wished she was sitting closer so that she could have heard the exchange. With one last glance at Remus, she turned her attention back to Minerva and tried to catch up with what she was saying. Though she promised herself that she'd have to get to know Remus better.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Arwain chuckled at Harry and Ginny's frustration. Hermione hadn't let them get more than ten feet from her without her following them. They had finally taken refuge in Harry's room, telling their bushy-haired friend they were going to take a nap.

"_Since we can't spend this afternoon out practising spells, why don't we concentrate on learning about wards," _ their guide prompted.

Harry and Ginny were instantly intrigued and sat up straighter and for the remainder of the afternoon they learned about all manner of wards. From simple notice-me-not spells to more complex ones including anti-apparation and anti-portkey spells to the ultimate Fidelius Charm.

"_I really wish we could practice these," _Ginny sighed in frustration.

"_Well, I really didn't want to do this so soon, but do you think you could sneak your mother's wand for a short while?" _Arwain asked.

Ginny's eyes took on a mischievous look and with a glance at Harry she said "I'll be right back."

A little more than five minutes later, Ginny returned with a smug look on her face. She reached into her pocket and produced Molly's wand.

"It took me a little while to locate it. Mum is always leaving it laying around somewhere. I'll just need to get it back soon so she doesn't miss it."

"_This won't take long," _Arwain said. "_What I'm going to have you do is remove the Trace from both of your wands. The spell is Auferio and the wand movement is a short jab followed by a quick comma like action."_

Ginny quickly took out her wand and with a steadying breath she cast the spell. "Auferio." A small beam of white light flew out and struck her wand which glowed blue for a moment.

"_Wonderful," _Arwain exclaimed. "_Now let Harry do his."_

Without realizing what he was doing Harry cast the spell, but instead of vocalizing the spell he used his mind-speak. _"Auferio," _he cast. Just like Ginny's his wand glowed blue.

"_Well that's interesting," _Arwain said with a touch of humour.

"_What?" _asked Harry, a look of concentration on his face.

"_Harry!" _ Ginny said in surprise. "_You didn't say the spell out loud," _she explained.

"_I think this means that you'll both be very adept at non-verbal spell casting," _Arwain said with a grin.

Harry's and Ginny's eyes lit up. "_That's bloody brilliant," _Harry exclaimed.

"_Yes it is," _Arwain replied. "_We'll explore this more but I think it would be wise to get your mum's wand returned before she misses it."_

Ginny glanced at the clock, "_Well it will soon be time for dinner. Perhaps Harry and I should spend some time downstairs so we're not missed so much."_

"_Good idea," _Arwain responded. "_We'll work some more this evening before you go to sleep." _And with that, she withdrew from their minds.

Harry and Ginny descended into the kitchen and replaced Molly's wand. It was most fortuitous they did so because Molly came into the kitchen moments later and when she saw her wand on the counter she said, "There it is, I was afraid I'd have to cook muggle style if I couldn't find it."

Harry and Ginny shared grins and decided to help set the table, pleasing Molly greatly as she didn't even need to ask.

**XX HP + GW XX**

**A/N: A bit shorter than usual, but at least it's an update. **

**Real life continues to throw things my way, I'm just happy to be able to continue to write. Several weeks ago, I went into a diabetic coma and almost died. I was given a 50/50 chance when they rushed me to the ER. Obviously I pulled through. **

**As always, reviews are most welcome.**


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